Never Say Never Novella
by HDorothy
Summary: Futuristic: Married with kids, Jack and Sam secretly miss the action. Be careful what you wish for. . . Dear Readers:Another long awaited chapter is finished! Chapter 16. Please let me know whatcha think? Feed me Seymour!
1. Chapter 1

Okay, due to threats from some un-disclosed fans, I'm posting part of this futuristic novella of the never-ending CHOSEN HEARTS SERIES that's been in stasis far too long. I apologize and forewarn this is a work-in-progress and will be completed in the unknown future . . .But I thought better to be like honest Jack, err--um, Abe. But I assure you, there's a ton already written.

You don't have to read the 'Chosen Hearts series,' to enjoy this novella. Although I'd appreciate if you did wander on over. Please start with 'Charades.'

Another warning: This novella is based from everything up through the 1st part of season 10. A few things might get revised after seeing the rest of season 10 but nothing major.

Title: Never Say Never

Author: HailDorothy

Season: Future

Spoiler: seasons 1-10 or whatever!

Pairing: Jack/Sam, Daniel/Cassandra — Surprise! But there's a logical explanation . . .really, this is after all, Sci-Fi!

Song: God Shaped Hole – Plumb, copyright 2000

Brief Summary: Jack once told Daniel, "Call it O'Neill intuition, Daniel, but never say never." And he'd meant it. (Check out Tangent Hearts (CH series) for that line…yeah, yeah, so it was a time ago. You go read, remember, ponder, keep me apprised with a review. Yeah, I'd like that a lot!

Full Summary: The Stargate has gone public. SG-1 has been permanently disbanded. Despite their Ancient DNA that has genetically altered them and their children, Jack and Sam O'Neill live boring lives and love each other more than ever. Yep, everything's peachy until Thor beams up SG-1 for a mad romp through the galaxy to save planet Earth from Fifth and the Wrath. So hold on to your seats, kids, it's going to be a bumpy ride!

Disclaimer: All publicity recognizable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This series may include script excerpts from the TV Series 'Stargate SG-1.' This fan fiction was created for entertainment, not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks are intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of said author, HailDorothy 2004 ©, revised 2006©.

Special '_Thank You'_ to my betas Dinkydow and Carol Sue. Hey, you two rhyme. What would I do without ya?

And to God Almighty, You daily remind us how insignificant we maybe in this vast universe, but how important we are to You. Thanks!

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**CHAPTER ONE: It's A Family Affair**

_God-shaped Hole_

_Every point of view has another angle _

_And every angle has its merit _

_But all comes down to faith _

_That's the way I see it _

_You can say that love is not divine and _

_You can say that life is not eternal _

_All we have is now _

_But I don't believe it_

_There's a God-shaped hole in all of us _

_And the restless soul is searching _

_There's a God-shaped hole in all of us _

_And it's a void only He can fill _

_Does the world seem gray with empty longing?_

_Wearing every shade of cynical?_

_And do you ever feel that There is something missing?_

_There's a God-shaped hole in all of us_

_And the restless soul is searching_

_There's a God-shaped hole in all of us _

_And it's a void only He can fill _

_That's my point of view . . ._

The old rock and roll lyrics pumped through Jack O'Neill's head and temples as it boomed from his nine-year-old daughter's IPOD for the entire neighborhood to hear way too early in the morning.

"There's a reason you've got an internal earphone, Gracie." He snapped the newest technical device onto her right earlobe like an earring. "And why I'm going deaf."

"Yeah, but I always lose it," she groused as she clipped it to her left ear just to annoy him.

"And that's why Dad always has a spare." He winked.

"Whatever." She reached over and pinched her brother's arm.

"Ow!" JJ smacked her back.

"Girly face." She stuck out her tongue.

"Am not. Gonna be like Dad and have lots of hair on my arms, legs and chest."

"Uncle Daniel has more chest hair than Dad."

"Does not?"

"Does too."

"Ah, nah!" JJ pinched her.

"How do you do it, Sam?" Jack groused as Grace and Jonathon Jacob strapped themselves into the back seats of the O'Neill brat-mobile err um. . .minivan. He glanced at the squabbling brats, umm, angels, children, okay definitely brats with a capital B! Unlike most parents, Jack acknowledged his two kids were spoiled rotten creatures that had already sucked the life force from his caffeine-pumped veins before 0700. When he once suggested Goa'uld possessed them Sam cut him off for a week. That was just wrong on so many levels. Getting cut off that is.

Jack hated Mondays. Actually he hated the fact that summer and Labor Day weekend had come and gone and so had ninety days of fishing bliss at the cabin with his family. The only good thing was that thanks to Thor's wedding gifts of the Asgard transport stones, he, Sam, and the kids could beam up there whenever they wanted or anywhere in the world for that matter. It also meant Sam could beam home from the SGC anytime. He hoped she was reading his mind. _Now, Sam!_

"I hate you, snake face," Grace taunted her kid brother.

JJ blew her a raspberry and then pinched her . . .again!

On mornings like this, Jack concluded he got the raw end of their parenting arrangement. Sam had the first no talking back, love you mummy, years. Jack got the, "Man, Dad, you're a geek," years. Yeah, they actually used his 'Daniel' handle on him.

"And you got Thor's dog breath, smarmy pants," JJ countered.

"Better that than being a dorky pinhead, O'Neill, with one L!"

Ten years later it was hard to believe he was married to Sam and a father again. How'd they go from being a lovesick CO and 2IC couple to husband and wife with 2.3 kids and still not break the regs? Soon as he and Sam finally admitted they still loved each other, Jack handed over his wish list to TPTB, which they eventually honored. SG-1 got disbanded. Jack got promoted and reassigned to head Home World Security and Sam got some much-needed downtime working out of Area 51. Of course, SG-1 then got recalled with the then Colonel Cameron Mitchell and the queen of hemorrhoids, Vala Mal Doran—now Mrs. Mitchell, yah go figure. But that was another story . . .Had Jack known it would have been that simple, he'd have done dropped out of the SGC years ago. So much for rear-ended hindsight clichés.

Yep, he and Sam agreed that they'd given up way too much for Air Force regs, when they had put their love on hold. It became the longest running wager at the SGC as to when-if-ever, he and Sam got past the 'can't hold hands' courtship stage. Well, when it did happen they concluded it had been a ten-year engagement and went straight to the main course. Marriage. Not that they hadn't considered themselves married since their vows on Chulak, but they needed to make it official on Earth and didn't waste time. They proceeded to make long-range plans—well Sam did, which included to start their family of three point two kids eighteen months later, giving them a nice long honeymoon. She had it all figured out, yeah right.

"At least I don't gotta gum my food, toothless wonder!"

"Dad!"

"Nah ah!" Jack dropped their backpacks on the van's floor and rolled his eyes. Again.

Funny thing about theoretical astrophysicists, it's all based on hypothetical theory, just another confirmation for Jack that too much thinking destroys gray cells. Of course, considering their unorthodox courtship they should have known better. Less than six months at Area 51, Sam returned to temporarily (her words) work with the new SG-1 which put her back into active off world duty. Jack had always known she was happiest when she was physically active and using her wits and brains.

On their official Earth six-month wedding anniversary which in and of its self was a monumental delayed event, (um, no, it wasn't a shotgun wedding. Yes, Sam was full-term but that's another Ancient-thingy story) Grace O'Neill came screaming into their world and hadn't shut-up since. Man, he loved their curly haired girl! Eighteen months later, Jonathon Jacob arrived without a whimper until Jack smacked his pink butt to make sure he was a-okay. A mad scream assured O'Neill his son had a strong set of lungs. However, after JJ's breech birth Sam insisted Jack get a snip job. The fact Daniel and Teal'c had to duct tape him to the surgical table still haunted him. All in all, Jack had no regrets. Everything remained operational and their love life remained excellent!

In fact this Ancient bonding thingy had it perks. Like needing to have wild monkey sex with your wife a minimum of once a day when most men his age would be sucking down Viagra like aspirin to make that happen twice a week. Not Jack. Mind you, that wasn't even when Sam ovulated and there was a full moon. Ah yes, they were more than making up for all those years of living like monks. He snorted.

"Stop it!" Grace smacked JJ on the arm.

Biting his tongue, Jack didn't intervene. Yet. Little JJ could take care of himself where his bratty sister was concerned.

"Ow!" she wailed.

Sweet!

At an intersection Jack continued to reminisce, which kept him from going brain dead listening to his bickering but lovable brats. God had been good to them and Jack took a moment to utter a heartfelt thanks to the _Keeper of the Stars,_ "I know they're a blessing, Lord, just make sure to remind me at such wacko times like this, wilya."

His verbal reverie was duly noted by his offspring and their immediate reverent silence. Jack's thoughts gravitated back to his Godsend, Sam. Sharing the leadership role with Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell she'd stayed with SG-1 until she couldn't run due to her pronounced pregnancy. A lot happened during that course of time. For one, the Air Force officially shut down Cheyenne Mountain, well all but the SGC, and then the Stargate program went public.

To this day, Jack believed that had been a big honking mistake, that lead to SG-1 officially retiring, after which Hank Landry left to join Jack at HomeWorld Security. Meanwhile, Jack played hopscotch between establishing two additional Alpha and Beta sites and being CO of Home World Security.

Even though family planning 101 backfired, they did follow through on their child rearing strategy. Although she'd resigned from the Air Force after the SGC went non-military, Sam was offered to head the SGC astrophysics department and then last year the entire Science facility. She accepted and had worked primarily from home. This allowed her to rear their kids through the formative years. Something she didn't want to miss out on. Jack being old school supported her decision. Most of the SGC staff was shocked to learn that Colonel Samantha Carter-O'Neill wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. Jack still chuckled over that announcement. He'd not been the least bit surprised at her decision. There was far more to his former 2IC than playing with Naquadah generators or ZPMs.

Financially they were solvent. No, they weren't multi-millionaires but all those years of paychecks and no time to spend them had proven a blessing. Jack had invested wisely, so had Sam. Two years ago, Jack retired to become full-time Mr. Mom, but remained a paid consultant to the SGC and at least once a month got to accompany an SG team off world if he wanted. However, his attitude and priorities had come full circle and he turned down the last mission when he learned it involved two warring factions with nuclear warheads. Jack wouldn't risk his life anymore, at least not off world. He had too much to live for and two reasons sat behind him, squabbling like typical siblings.

Meanwhile, Sam returned to the SGC on a twenty-eight hour workweek that allowed her time with him and the kids. For the first as long as he'd known her, Sam no longer volunteered to work overtime or travel off world. She had a life outside the SGC and three important reasons to come home. A cantankerous Irishman who was passionately in love with her and two adorable kids who thought their mom ruled! Jack smirked. Yeah, Sam definitely ruled their hearts and their home and he wouldn't have it any other way. Although, when push came to shove, she respected Jack and he usually had the final say.

"I'll make you eat a rotten snakehead!" Grace threatened her seven-year old brother with a pinch to his forearm.

"Daddy!" JJ whined as he reached out and knuckle rubbed her leg.

"Enough!" he delivered his Black Ops death stare. "The next one to touch the other is not, I repeat, going to Uncle Daniel's barbecue this weekend, which means you also won't see Uncle T, Aunt Ishta and your cousins. Oh, not to mention uncle Cameron, Aunt Vala and uncle George."

"But I wanna see Uncle T!" JJ vented.

"Well, Uncle Danny loves me best, doesn't he, Dad?" Nine-year old Grace asked in her honey-coated voice that only meant one thing. Trouble.

"He brought me rocks from Chulaky," JJ replied smugly.

"It's Chulak, frog face, and they're not rocks . . .they're artifacts."

"Grace." Jack scolded in his paternal I'm going to lose it voice.

"Huh?" She donned the O'Neill confused face into the rearview mirror.

"Nah ah." He wagged a finger over his head.

They made their father-daughter eye contact and she sighed with a muttered, "Jeez, okay."

"Thank you." He felt a headache coming on. Leave it to Grace to give him one. He slipped in a Pavarotti opera CD and heard them grouse. He grinned. Ah yes, he had his moments.

"Dad?"

"What?" Jack eyed-balled his daughter, whose bouncy long hair had been a gift from her granddad Jacob. Who'd have known the balding Carter once had a head of tight curls? Not Jack. He just hoped the going bald thingy didn't apply to Grace.

"Are you still mad at Cassie for dating Uncle Danny?"

Jack's grip on the wheel tightened, his knuckles whitened. "Can we not talk about that, princess?" his rigid tone conveyed he didn't want to discuss the matter, let alone with a nine-year old.

"Told ya," JJ elbowed her. "Dad's pissed off. That's why he and mom had a blowout and why Cassie's not talking to him."

"Ah, we're all talking just fine." Jack snuffed a breath, hoping that ended this conversation.

"Not according to Cass." Grace injected.

"And how'd you know?" Jack asked before he could stop himself. Dang! As if she wouldn't have an answer.

"Coz, she's my big sister, that's why. We talk all the time, ya know."

"Which explains why my phone bill is so freaking outrageous," he muttered.

"And you think Danny's too old and worldly for Cass." Just like Sam, Grace didn't give up the bone.

"Ah, here we go." JJ bemoaned and did the O'Neill hands scrubbing his face gesture then slid down his seat, crossed his arms muttering, while a set of dimples tucked deep on either side of his flat lined mouth. Oh, yeah there was that darn line between his brown brows. Jack shook his head. No doubt about it. JJ was the spitting image of him at that age. God had a sick sense of humor.

"Well?" Grace pressed.

"I think it is none of your business, young lady!" Jack felt irked.

"But you and mom are thirteen and half years a part in age," she exerted.

"Yeah, but coz of that Ancient download, Dad hasn't aged like everyone else. So technically they're only seven years a part." JJ noted sarcastically.

"Six," Jack corrected, nodding at his brilliant son.

"Whose side you on, bonehead?" Grace shot JJ a challenging glint.

"Dad's o' course. Us guys gotta stick together right, Dad?"

_Yes! _Jack did a silent high-five to his son, and winked at him through the mirror.

"I don't care if Dad never ages another year, the point is that in human years he's still eons older than mom. Man, oh man, he's ancient. Just look at his white hair and that crater between his brows when he frowns like now. A person could get lost in there."

"Yeah, mom does all the time." JJ chuckled.

"Well, that makes me feel so much better." Jack groused, as the arthritis in his lower back kicked in reminding him of his true age and that all that sarcophagus downtime with Baal had finally expired. Apparently so had being an Ancient.

"Sorry, Dad. I'm just saying." Grace jutted out her chin in Carter fashion. "What are a few more years after that? I mean you're always saying that when God chooses two hearts to become bonded like yours and mom's, nothing matters, not even if one of you is a cantankerous SOB flyboy."

"Stand down, O'Neill!" Jack's hand flew up waving her off and her mouth. Sam was right he had to stop swearing around the kids.

"Oy!" JJ winced and elbowed Grace. "You so don't wanna push this, Sis. Remember he decked Uncle T once when they were boxing."

"Yeah, years ago and only coz, he was wearing a Tok'ra armband."

"And tha's when mom and dad said they loved each other and almost got cormarshmellowed."

"It's court martial, duck brains. And stop changing topic . . ."

"Oh, please do!" Jack groused. Yep, a migraine was brewing.

"Fine. But, Daddy, if you love Cassie, you'd want her happy and Daniel's great with her . . ." she trailed off as he delivered his 'you're dead' glint, that thankfully made her gulp and sink back into her seat. Parental fear factor ruled!

"Toldcha'," JJ muttered.

"Stuff it, barf breath!"

Jack exhaled.

Jack inhaled.

Crap. This wasn't Grace's fault. He shouldn't be so hard on her. It was just that Cassandra was their firstborn and they'd not know the truth of her conception until Teal'c confirmed it and his involvement. The truth being that he and Sam had been abducted as one of Nirrti's genetic engineering test subject eighteen years prior and then had their memories altered. When the truth finally came out, they were shocked and relieved. They'd always felt an uncanny parental bond to Cassie, but neither had confided that feeling to the other.

Far worse for Sam, discovering one day she was pregnant when she'd never been with a man, only to find later, she'd lost the baby. When in fact, Nirrti had altered Sam's DNA, taken Cassie by C-section and then given her over to Cassandra's foster mother.

Teal'c's confiding of being a witness to their abduction and later to Cassandra's birth, was later followed by conclusive DNA tests that had changed all their lives for the better. That revelation brought Jack and Sam to admitting they were still in love with each other to not mention it undid Fifth's brainwashing. Since then, they'd become a real family. Cassie was twenty-eight now and a genius genetic physicist working at the SGC. But being a dad, Jack was not inclined to see her married off, least of all, Daniel.

Not that Jack didn't love Space Monkey. Heck, Daniel was Jack's best guy bud. They were brothers. It's just well, he was Daniel, and the idea of Daniel being intimate with his little daughter sucked eggs and gave Jack a royal gut ache! He reached for his antacids and chewed two down, followed by coffee, Daniel's special brew. Jeez!

Why couldn't Daniel's warped infatuation with Vala have turned serious? Well, it had for a while. In fact, Vala and Sam went bridal gown shopping, secretly, of course. But Daniel being Daniel and slow on commitment –something he'd apparently learned from Jack, failed to notice the sparks flying between Vala and Cameron. By the time he did it was too little too late. The fact Daniel hadn't seemed overly heartbroken spooked Jack. He came to the conclusion that Daniel was either A-sexual or gay. Not that he asked of course.

Only recently did he realize why Daniel hadn't been gung-ho about his brief romantic relationship with Vala. Because the four-eyed doctor had been in love with Jack's daughter Cassandra far longer than Jack cared to know, that's fricking what!

Jack had been in denial that there was more between his daughter and best friend. Everyone, including Teal'c knew what was beneath the surface and upon more than one occasion mentioned it to Jack, who quickly slammed the door on such warped dialogue. He so didn't want to talk about the possibility that his little girl was in love with his best friend, not to mention their gigantic age difference. But catching them necking on Jack's sofa last week while babysitting his kids, confirmed that fear. Then discovering that Sam had known made him furious. True, Cassie had sworn Sam to secrecy, but that his own wife managed to block that pertinent knowledge from him almost sent him over the lunatic fringe.

Oh fercryinoutloud, it did!

Jack had lost it that evening and kicked Daniel out--physically. They hadn't talked since. What followed was the biggest O'Neill father-daughter fallout ever, another fiasco Jack hadn't handled well. Sam through and through, Cassandra confronted Jack telling him to keep his nose out of her love life.

Of course, she had to bring up his and Sam's long-suffering courtship as an example that he was the last person to dictate or hand out advice of whom she should fall in love with. Cass had no intention to wait to be with the man she loved. She then informed Jack they'd been a couple for two years, were engaged and planned for a spring wedding. The only reason they'd not told Jack was because they knew he'd object and be an asshole.

Cassie was right. Jack was an asshole!

"Daddy?" Grace's small hand tugged at his shoulder.

"Huh?" He blinked from his grim musings and glanced back at her.

"I'm sorry." Her large blue eyes shimmered with regret.

"Hey, my fault, princess." He patted her hand before returning it to the wheel. "I'm sorry for yelling."

"Cass loves and misses you, Daddy."

"And I love her too." He restrained the parental tears that stung his eyelids.

"She just wants your blessing."

"Ya think?"

"Yep. So call her."

"That an order, Ms O'Neill?"

"Yeah sure yabetcha!" She grinned her toothless grin.

"Sweet." He chuckled and waggled his brows.

"Ah, jeez," JJ muttered and rolled his blue eyes. "Stop with the mushy stuff wilya?"

Grace giggled and yanked JJ's baseball cap down over his eyes.

"Hey, hey, hands off the merchandize," he snapped her fingers with his own.

The rest of the drive to school was typical O'Neill fashion. They started head butting, again. This time on a quieter level, because JJ was diplomatically lecturing his big sister. "Mom said dad said he's getting too freaking old to deal us brats."

"You poked me first, ooze head."

"Hey knock it off, before Dad knocks us off with his zat and goes back to work in Washington."

Jack frowned. Why did that zat sound more and more appealing? He could put one in the glove compartment. Yeah.

"Nah, dad wouldn't do that. Coz, he likes being a kid too much. Besides, he can't pitch hoops at the SGC or Pentagon." JJ asserted.

"Yes he can. You were too young when he had a basketball hoop on his office wall. And he taught me to play golf on the Stargate ramp when the toilet bowl was open and we shot a ball all the way to PX—"

"Grace!"

"Whoops! Sorry, Dad." She grinned.

"Yeah, right." He snorted, trying to suppress laughter. It amazed him how different the kids were and how much they were like Sam and himself. Fortunately thanks to Sam's genes, they were smarter than Jack. Well that and a secret that was best kept secret. He frowned as the memory of going Ancient tickled his subconscious and the changes that'd like it or not his mind and body had undergone. Jack forced his musings back to his Grace.

God love the girl. Jack did. She was risk-taking stubborn, outspoken and faithful to a fault, O'Neill. Way too much like him. And like Jack she tended to keep her feelings tucked too deep, so he was working to help her be more expressive. He sure didn't want it to take her forty-three years before she could open-up to whomever she eventually fell in love with. Not everyone was as long-suffering and patient as Sam.

A natural leader, Grace insisted she'd follow mom and dad's footsteps and join the Air Force. Jack wasn't a happy camper. But following Sam's advice, he didn't express his feelings. Instead, he assured Grace no matter what career path she opted, he would support her and be a proud father. Heck, he didn't know if he could get any prouder than he was now of his golden-brown haired, blued-eyed daughter.

Then there was their blonde, brown-eyed bookworm, Jonathon, a tad smarter than Grace he had been tested at genius level, just like Sam at that age. Patient to a fault and a peacemaker, JJ was more reserved than Grace, but equally stubborn when he believed to be right. On the other hand, JJ tended to over-analyze everything. Like mother like son in that area. 'Course the boy's love of sports, hiking, camping, hockey, soccer and fishing was classic Jack.

Even now as they badgered each other, Jack could hear and see the love the two siblings had for each other. He glanced at Grace, thankful the left-eye shiner she'd acquired defending her kid brother two weeks ago had almost faded. She was one tough little O'Neill and had fared far better than the eleven-year old bully who had chosen the wrong O'Neill to pick on. Of course, the fact Jack had been teaching Grace to box put the odds in her favor. Sam had not been happy. But making-up had been fun.

"For crying out loud, O'Neill!" Grace gagged, "Yuck! That's wrong on so many levels. I'm telling, Mom, when she gets home. Dad, he's—"

Jack raised his shut-up hand, deciding he didn't want to know what his son just ate. No doubt another booger. His stomach pitched. He wished he'd not eaten those Fruit Loops this morning. Driving up to the school grounds, he opened the electronic side door, helped them out, and then passed over their backpacks.

"Mom'll pick you up at 1350 hours."

"Dad, she can't." Grace corrected, "She rode the Indian."

'Oh." He nodded. "Then I'll be here." He wagged his brows.

Grace muttered about him going senile, and then took her backpack.

"Hey, look it's the General!" Someone yelled. Heads turned as a swarm of school children tackled Jack.

"Hi kids!" Jack chuckled hugging as many as he could handle without falling over.

"Crap! Not again!" Grace rolled her eyes. "This is so not cool!"

"Oy." Red faced, JJ scrubbed his hands over his face and into his unruly blond hair, "Ya'd think he was a hero or something."

"Wish they'd get a life." Grace scrunched her face at her friends and slipped her backpack over her shoulders, turning away to gag out loud.

Jack glanced at his unimpressed children. He didn't like humiliating them, but what's a guy to do? "Need to go now, campers." He untangled the last tentacle of a twelve-year-old girl with stardust in her eyes.

"Will you come visit Art Class again?" One of Grace's classmates asked.

Jack glanced at his flat-mouthed daughter shaking her head no.

"We'll see." He shrugged, patting JJ on the head only to hear, "Dad, don't do that here."

Jack took his cue and jogged to the driver's side to escape. Of course, he stayed put until both kids had walked through the double doors of the building and were safely inside. He was forever the dotting father.

"Besides," he reassured himself. "What could happen to two whiz kids with the gifts of the Ancients locked inside their skulls and DNA?"

Anymore-stupid questions?


	2. Chapter 2

Never Say Never

Chapter Two

"How did you do it, Jack?" Doctor Samantha O'Neill sat at her desk piled with never ending paperwork. True, she was no longer Air Force and never the SGC CO, but as head of the Science facility it meant forty-two individuals including military and civilian scientists under her umbrella. She'd never imagined herself behind a management desk anymore than Jack had when he'd been a colonel. No wonder he hated being the 'Man'.

Sam spent more time sifting through paperwork than tinkering with alien technology or building a better Naquadah generator. She hated to admit it, but she missed the old days, missed the off world adventures with SG-1, discovering new races and new technology. Most of all, although she'd never admit, let alone to Jack, she missed walking through the gate with him, Daniel and Teal'c.

Pushing back in her chair, she sipped coffee and closed her eyes. As much as she missed all those wonderful, sometimes frightening days, Sam wouldn't change anything of her past life. Well, other than one ten-month fling with a cloned cop named Pete Shanahan. Odd, she rarely thought about him. Besides, thanks to Nirrti, she'd never known the real Pete. And she also regretted that Nirrti had killed the human Pete Shanahan, who Sam later discovered had been a happy married man.

Despite the fact she'd hurt Jack with her selfish diversion trying to find happiness with someone else, she had learned a lot from that bittersweet experience. The most important being that her safe bet, Jack, had loved her enough to let her fly with the hopes she'd return to him. She had. And because of his selflessness she loved him more than she thought possible. Sam came full circle.

Since marrying Jack her priorities changed. Actually they changed the day she discovered Cassandra was their biological daughter. Then after their Earth-bound marriage Grace came into their lives and that's when Sam realized she didn't want to miss out on anything that involved motherhood. She'd lived a life few people, let alone women ever would. She had the best of worlds, but most importantly, the man she loved for almost thirty years and now his children. Their children. Man, it had only been two hours and she missed seeing Grace and JJ off to school. That was Jack's job now and she envied him that.

As much as Sam loved being home, she missed interaction with other people and of course, her love of astrophysics and astronomy. So, she worked part-time and with Jack's blessings. But of late she realized something was absent from her life and she suspected in Jack's as well, she just didn't know what. Let alone if she dare broach the subject to him. Maybe it was midlife crisis, hard to know you're an Ancient. Do Ancients even have midlife crises? Well, Jack for sure never went through one—okay, so maybe he had before he went Ancient. She'd have to ask him.

When she thought it could be the Stargate or at least the excitement they'd once shared together she felt sentimental or foolish. What more could a person want than what she already had? Even so, what gnawed her belly? Why did she feel that all the material stuff they had accumulated was just a substitute for what they could have, had things been different.

How? How did one escape the rat race of mother Earth? Not that Sam didn't love Earth. She'd fought and even died upon several occasions for this world. But she no longer enjoyed the craziness of it, let alone the politically correct games that affected her job at the SGC. There had to be something more. More often than not, she imagined them living somewhere off the land. Farming even.

No wonder they'd both drawn to that Wyoming ranch for sale, so long ago. Sam recalled the look on Jack's face as the elderly couple gave them the grand tour. He'd been excited and content at the same time. Asking questions, checking out the barn's livestock milking equipment, farm machinery and tool shed. When he'd climbed up on the huge tracker he looked like a kid with his first toy. Then, she'd not known then that he'd spent his first ten years living on a farm in Minnesota.

Sam's mind drifted back to another place and time. She could still picture her and Jack living happily. PX-1129 was a small planet in the Gamma quadrant. The planet's address was not in the Abydos cartouche, it's peaceful inhabitants direct descendents of the Ancients and yet who'd never seen a Goa'uld or heard of them. PX-1129 possessed strange beautiful climate features. One side of the planet was rocky and mountainous with lakes and rivers and wild life and hot springs. The other half was tropically lush with ocean and white beaches that went on and on.

"Someday," Jack had then quipped, "I could see myself living here, working the land, raising a family. Yeah."

"You wouldn't prefer a cabin in Minnesota?" Sam had baited him.

"That would do just fine. But we'd have to clear away the trees and, well start all over."

"With you I could do that, Jack."

"Well, then come your retirement, we've got a date, Samantha." He'd chuckled and grinned. "Too bad you're not ready." She saw the longing in his eyes, but failed to give him the answer he desired. That had been two years ago. What in the world was she doing here?

Sam stared at the loaded desk of papers and suddenly realized it didn't have to be this way. She'd spent half of her life, playing scientist. Not that she hadn't loved those times. It just wasn't what she wanted anymore. Life was too darn short to spend the next twenty behind a desk.

She shook herself from her revelry and then searched her desk drawers for the elusive piece of paper she'd kept hidden the last while, filled it out and signed it and addressed it to General Mitchell who now commanded the SGC.

Her mind made up, Sam settled back in her chair and closed her eyes. She missed the smile and touch of her lover. Jack. Sometimes, she cursed their Ancient bonded DNA. It was like they were addicted to each other. Well, according to Daniel's and now Doctor Lee's research they were. That's what happened when a male and female Ancient physically bonded. No wonder the Ancients had a population explosion problem. Infidelity had not been an issue with their race because bonded couples only had the hots for each other.

A pleasant ache settled below Sam's waist. Glancing at her watch, she knew Jack was in route to school. She could call him on his cell, but not with the kids along. Last time she did that, Jack almost got into an accident. Sam grinned. She picked up her phone and started dialing. Yep, time for her 0900-hour message. Jack didn't know it, but it'd be the last one he'd get from the SGC.

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Jack parked Sam's minivan beside his new black Ford dual cab truck and clambered out, wincing when his knees rebelled. Five years ago, he'd have puked at the thought of driving a minivan. So had Sam. But carpooling and hockey games changed their perception—for now. This to shall pass; he mused, then glanced at the red minivan and shuddered.

It took fifteen minutes of picking up bikes, toys, and busted water balloons, before he made his way into the O'Neill domain. They purchased the adjoining wooded lot providing an additional two acres. 5.5 acres of privacy for the O'Neill clan and it was still not enough as far as he was concerned. Jack spent his free time remodeling, which had involved a second floor addition that included a great so-so room, two bedrooms, master suite and extra bath and a recreational room in the basement. Not to mention the observation deck off the master suite where a new high-powered telescope waited to be broken in. Wife and kids continued to be the diversion from his favorite hobby.

A whining bark reminded Jack he'd locked the other point two of their children in the laundry room. He released the childproof gate and waited to be attacked. The German Shepard-Great-Dane mix bounded out of the room and tackled Jack with all the enthusiasm of a six-week old pup. Trouble was Thor was two years old and weighed in at a hundred and twenty pounds.

"Wow, boy." Jack chuckled getting slobbered. "Guess ya need to pee, huh?"

Thor galloped around the work center to the patio door and barked.

"Okay, okay. You got the backyard to yourself and I'll take you for a walk later." He slid open the door and let the eager hound into the cedar fenced backyard where his doghouse and food set. "And don't you dig under that fence and chase the Benson's cat again."

Thor glanced back and shifted his ears with what seemed a devious smirk.

"Yeah, like that's so not going to happen." Jack turned away, deciding it was time to get one of those electric fences for the neighborhood tramp.

After putting the kitchen back to satisfactory order, he picked up the phone and dialed Cassandra's cell. He got her mailbox. Crap! Jack hated answering machines as much as he hated memos. Sam would vouch for that. He almost hung up, then clearing his voice said, "Hi, sunshine, this is um, dad. About the other day, sorry, I was such a jerk. But the idea of you and Daniel is going ta take some getting used to . . . So can we um talk, say tonight? I'll grill your favorite bacon burgers and well, you know we'll talk. Okay? I love ya, sunshine." He looked at the phone and added, "And tell Daniel he can come too."

Scrubbing the back of his neck Jack let out a held breath. Well, that was easier than he thought. Of course, whether she called back or showed would be another thing. Then there was Sam. They'd argued yes, but Sam had long learned the way to win Jack O'Neill's favor on most issues was not by fighting, but by loving. And oh, did she know how to love. Not that it meant they weren't still at odds over the Cassie and Daniel matter, just they'd learned not to take it into the bedroom. Most of the time.

Jack checked the voicemail and heard Sam's punctual 0900 post, with a slight twist to it, "Hey, there, General, I love and miss you, and it's only been two hours since I left. So, I'm going to jump your old Irish bones in about nine point three hours. Be afraid, be very afraid," followed by her sultry giggle.

"Oh, you are evil," Jack snorted, feeling his temperature rise due south. Nine more hours! She'd done that on purpose. Then he'd been disappointed if she hadn't. The fact she'd left his arms three hours ago with a satisfaction guaranteed smile only raised his inner thermometer.

Another message flashed. "Hon, don't forget JJ's dentist appointment tomorrow morning at 0815 sharp, and Grace's next dance recital is um . . .Saturday night. Oh, remember Cassie's coming. So get your head out of your rear about her and Daniel. Call your daughter, apologize, and invite them for supper tonight."

Jack hit the stop button and fumed. Now see, that was wrong on so many levels! The woman must have mind-melded with Grace! Jack was still tempted to beat the crap out of Daniel. That'd be easier than dealing with these blasted nosey females in his life.

The light still blinking he hit release and straddled a stool as Sam rambled on, "And no, I didn't mind-meld with Grace. We agreed to never do that, remember? But you so much as threaten Daniel I'm going to knock your lights out, O'Neill--sir!"

Jack flinched. How did she do that? He swore he'd turned on the off switch to his private thoughts soon as he got up this morning. Dang, she'd broken his newest mental combination lock all ready. He'd have to talk to Loki about that. This Ancient brand thingy did have it drawbacks.

Sam's voice turned sexy, "And oh about later tonight, General, I'm thinking to wear that pale blue teddy you bought me, the one with the cut-out . . ."

"Fercryinoutloud, Carter!" Jack hit the off button and cursed between grins. Yeah, he still called her Carter and when things got kinky she called him a variety of names, ranging from Colonel, sir to Lieutenant General plus some naughty ones in between. Man, he loved that woman. And because of her Jack needed a cold shower at 0920. Yep, something's hadn't changed since their SG-1 days. Except being down to one cold shower a day nor did he need to wait in line.

Rushing the stairs two at a clip, Jack sidestepped JJ's Lego's before he entered the one immaculate room in their house, the master suite. At least they tried to keep it orderly and their own.

In the bathroom, he glimpsed his morning stubble but would shave later, and not have to mow his fast growing beard twice. Besides he should head for the basement and his thirty-minute daily workout to maintain his six-pack and biceps. He'd gone through a three-year slack period after leaving the SGC, gotten out of shape, gained weight. And Sam never once complained. But he had. Heck, he'd been twenty—five pounds heavier on their wedding night. Of course Sam helped him lose those love handles in many creative ways. He grinned.

Jack barely noted the reflection of his tanned weathered features or the previous gray hair that had turned snow white last year. He had yet to understand what a certain gorgeous blonde ever saw in this Irishman's face or body. But heck, he had to be doing something right after all this time, because she meant exactly what she'd said in that message. Jack had long concluded that when he died it was going to be in Sam's arms.

Oh, yeah, he needed that cold shower. Turning on the fancy six-nozzle showerhead Jack stripped and set one leg inside the glass door. Icy water splashed him from all directions. He sighed as he stepped in all the way and closed the door.

Within two seconds, he was tap-dancing on the slick tile floor, "Ouch! Crap!" He jumped, nearly landing on his assets as he caught himself and the tender ball of his right foot cried out for attention. Glancing down, he found action figures floating in the stream of water. So much for their bathroom being childproof. How many times had he told JJ he couldn't bring his toys into their shower? Collecting the items, he noted the GI Joes belonged to Grace. Satin and Lace she wasn't, well except for church and ballet.

At last standing under the rush of pulsating spray, another of Sam's wonderful ideas, Jack stretched his neck and back and then leaned into the icy water, letting it massage his battle scars and aching muscles. He'd never let Sam know to what extent the chronic pain had become the last two years. Bad enough she already suspected. Nothing much got by his Sam. Most of his old injuries had been healed when Baal had repeatedly stuck him in the sarcophagi. But any injuries after that well . . .There was only so much that 'going Ancient' ten years ago could maintain. He maybe now aged slower than everyone else, but the health issues he'd had before that event still plagued him.

In all honesty, he didn't mind. It reminded him that Ancient or not, he was mortal. Shivering, he turned the icy spray to warm and once again set his aching backside to the water. He'd been thinking a lot of late. A scary thought for Jack. He realized that for whatever the reason, maybe it was adjusting to being Mister Mom, he missed the good old days a lot more than he'd admit, even to Sam. He missed off world missions with SG-1, missed bickering with Daniel over nothing. Missed Teal'c's stern Jaffa's eyebrow lifts. Missed the adrenaline rush of firing his P-90 at the Goa'uld or outrunning a death glider. Missed flying the X-302. Missed General Hammond greeting SG-1 returning from a mission. Most of all, he missed Carter at his side. Even though he had her at his side including in his bed, he missed the way their relationship had once been. CO and 2IC. Jack, never not quite knowing emotionally where he stood with her and yet knowing no matter what, she had his six, because she was his major and then his colonel and now his wife.

He sometimes wished he and Sam could step through the gate together, not that they still couldn't. They both had gate ID access. Last year they'd gone on a diplomatic mission together for five days to Atlantis. It'd been great, but quiet. Nothing even remotely exciting happened. Other than Jack got bored by the third hour and started an argument with the pain in the ass, head honcho just for the sake of arguing. Sam put an end to that by threatening to cut Jack off while they were there. The woman was evil. She got her way. Jack not only behaved he got a peace treaty signed in less than two days. Who'd have thought Jack O'Neill could be a diplomat.

The issue still gnawed at his innards. Jack secretly itched for action and not just of the sexual nature with Sam. He wanted to see space again, up and personal. He wanted to save the world again. He—

"Crap, old man!" He berated himself. "You're too old to be doing anything but what you're doing. And for most men your age the fact you're married to a gorgeous younger woman, the father of a nine and seven-year old and living a fantastic life is a miracle in and of itself. Thank God! He did.

Jack couldn't believe how sentimental he was being or how foolish. Heck, there was no way he'd be able to keep up with an SG team. They were getting younger all the time. While, Jack was ancient, literally. And as physically fit as Sam was for her age, he doubted she could keep up with them either, let alone want to.

"Stop daydreaming, Jack, and come back to reality."

One reality being, he still had a strong itch to move out of the Springs. Away from the crazy metropolitan area and from the SGC. Of course, that wasn't about to happen as long as Sam worked. He'd hinted a few times about moving to the cabin that he'd already remodeled for their growing family. There'd been a time when a good share of the property had been farmland. Which meant by now the land was rich and fertile. Course there was the issue of trees and rocks. Lots of rocks. But enough all ready! What was he thinking? He was thinking it'd give Sam the opportunity to home school the kids like she'd wanted to. It'd allow them the privacy they coveted and there were other home schooled kids that Grace and JJ hung out with every summer. So it wouldn't be like they'd go full native.

"Chill, Jack. Concentrate on the other issue. The one you can do something about." He and Sam never had the honeymoon he'd planned, as Sam got called back to the SGC for an emergency assignment with SG-1 the next day, followed by Jack reestablishing additional Alpha and Beta sites over the next nine weeks. The honeymoon from hell, he'd called it, one night with his wife and then joint abstinence the next three months. And Sam had taken it all in stride. Still didn't deserve her.

With their tenth wedding anniversary approaching he wanted to plan something special. Like an off world trip to that deserted tropical planet PX1-0…Gee, what was the name? Well, they definitely needed downtime, just the two of them. No kids, homework, ballet, hockey or soccer games, yard work, no SGC reports nada. Just them, alone for once besides when they were stuck inside an Antarctic glacier. On the other hand there was always the cabin. Yeah, that might be better. He had definite plans for them, most of which required just a few things, a fireplace, wine, music and most of all Carter in his arms. Yeah!

His thoughts now on Sam and being alone with her, Jack didn't notice the water temperature switch to hot and steamy. It felt good and he turned to let it beat on his face, down his chest and, oh boy, it was definitely going to be one long day waiting for Sam.

"Wow, there, General, sir. Just who you saluting? Coz, it better be me."

Jack jolted at the sultry voice and blinked through the wet mist as two delicate hands danced their way up his chest and around his shoulder and then neck, causing all kind of pleasurable feelings to wash over his old bones.

"Umm. Just saluting my 2IC," he managed to groan out as he drew Sam into his wet embrace and fingered her shoulder length blonde hair.

"Right answer, sir."

"Sweet."

Sam found his mouth and claimed it. She tasted of chocolate and mint. Yum! As their tongues dueled for dominance, Jack decided to play the subordinate for once and let Sam have her way with him. Who was he kidding he loved letting Sam have her way with his body.

"Sooo," he came up for air. "Couldn't wait until tonight, huh, Carter?"

She not so gently slammed him against the ceramic wall reliving their aggressive kisses in the SGC locker room the first year she'd come under his command. He still had that hot little tank top number. Jack grinned beneath her kiss.

"No more than you apparently could." She pressed specific parts of her anatomy where they would do the most damage or good, meanwhile her hands were performing other artful maneuvers.

"Carter!" Jack growled into the curve of her wet neck. "One of these days, you're going to be the death of me."

"You've been saying that for almost twenty years, sir," she murmured as her tongue dove into his right ear extracting another guttural sound from her lover. "So care to wager on the next twenty."

If he was going to last longer than a couple of minutes, Jack needed a diversion. Oh. Yeah. "Um, Uncle O'Neill is still alive and kicking at eighty-seven, umm Auntie's eighty and they're still doing the nasty." He caressed one of her erogenous zones.

"Oh, I love when you talk dirty!" Sam shuddered, leaning into his touch. And then, "Um, yes, . . . So we've just made up for the first eight years of our courtship."

"Eleven, but who's counting?" he murmured.

"Special Ops and Nirrti 's forced sex do no count."

"Hey we got history, Dorothy," he lisped nibbling her right earlobe.

"Umm, whatever. Let's start on the marriage part, okay?"

"So whatcha' want?" He swung a long muscular leg over her hips and bent to claim her succulent mouth.

"Another version of the human mating ritual, O'Neill?"

"Huh?" Jack prayed that he hadn't heard what he knew he heard. His leg automatically uncurled from Sam's hip and he pulled her into his embrace.

Sam scrunched against him. "Please don't tell me that Thor's standing behind us?"

Jack squinted over her shoulder through the white steam and grimaced. "The four legged or two legged version?"

"Jack!"

"Fine, fine, I won't tell you that Asgard Thor is in our shower, even though he is."

"Holy Hannah!" She buried her face against his chest and muffled her chagrin.

Jack pivoted, putting himself between Sam and Thor.

"Am I interrupting, Jack?"

"Basically your timing sucks, Thor, old buddy, old chum!" Sam's nails dug painfully into Jack's buttocks. "Ow!"

"So help me, Jack, if you don't get rid of him, you're not getting any for a year," she whispered in his wet ear.

"A-a-a . . .year?"

"You heard me."

"Greetings, Colonel Samantha Carter."

"It's Doctor O'Neill, Thor. We're married, you know." Jack corrected, trying to keep from landing on his butt. "And we're retired as in no longer Air Force."

"Of course I was there, remember?"

"Look, Thor, along with the fact you look like a shriveled gray prune. Can we continue this conversation another time, another place? Elsewhere?"

"As you wish, O'Neill."

And then there was light!


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE 

Thank you for the wonderful reviews. More excitement to come!

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"Ouch!" Jack slipped landing on his backside. Crap that hurt! Opening his eyes, he found himself on Thor's ship. Dripping wet, naked, and . . .

"Jack!"

Not alone. His hot, nude wife huddled a few feet away, trying to coverup with the blue washcloth she'd claimed just before Thor beamed them aboard.

"Oy! Sorry, Sam." He got to his feet and glanced about for clothing. A second later, two bundles appeared before them, including their terrycloth robes. Sam snatched up a robe shoved her arms into its sleeves and secured the sash at her waist.

Jack opened his mouth but she hissed, "Don't!"

"Sure. Oka—ay." He was so dead. He tugged on his robe and squeezed water from his hair. Sam sat making a puddle with her shoulder length drenched curls. Glancing about he wondered where Thor had gone. "Maybe the Asgards' aren't supposed to get wet." He wondered out loud, "You know like that horror flick where the cute fuzzy creatures turn into gremlins."

"Serve him right." She snapped.

"Hey, don't want that. Those gremlins are nasty dudes." He thumped his palms against his plugged ears. He hated when that happened.

"I can be nastier," she said with deadly calm.

Oh! This was so not his Sam, well, except for --. "Hey, it's not PMS time is it?"

"I'm glad you find this amusing, Colonel." Sam marched over and glared up at him.

Do-oh! Now she'd demoted him to Colonel.

"Look, babe, I'm sure Thor wouldn't pop in unannounced, let alone beam us up for no reason."

"You wish."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh man, have you got selective memory, sir?"

Sir! Yep, she was more than pissed. She was bonkers, wacko, over the edge. "Your point, Carter!" Two could play this name game.

"We haven't seen or heard from Thor since he came to the cabin last summer and caught more fish than you."

"You would have to remind me," he groused.

"And the time before that was when we saved the Asgard from another Replicator invasion when I was pregnant with Grace. Not to mention a run in with those warped Ancients the Ori."

"Yeah, but I still don't . . . Oh. Ah." He held up a digit and scrunched his face.

Sam nodded.

"You think he needs our help?" He jammed his hands into the robe's deep pockets and rocked on his bare heels.

"Do pigs fly?" She sighed and gave him her beseeching look that turned his heart to mush. "Jack, You have to tell Thor we are no longer SG-1. He must send us home, now!" She walked to the observation deck, crossed her arms and stared down at their home—Earth.

Jack ambled over and slipped his arms about her. She was trembling. For a moment he stared at the amazing planet they called home. It'd been years since they'd been able to see her from this view. Mother Earth remained beautiful as ever. Big bang theory my eye! The universe was no accident by chance, nor was mankind the by-product of the egotistic Ancients.

"I refuse to stay, Jack." Sam leaned into him, her fingers digging into his forearms.

"Hey, Dorothy, we'll be home in a few. Promise." He nuzzled her damp cheek.

She hugged him back. "I'm sorry for losing it. I just want to go home to our kids and — well, we have things to talk about."

"I know." He turned her to face him and brushed her wet blonde bangs aside. Meeting her eyes, they smiled in understanding.

"Soon as I find Thor we're off this flying circus." He sniffed.

"I do not think that wise, O'Neill. It is imperative you both come with me."

Sam and Jack turned as one to find Thor standing before them.

"Now I'm ticked!" Jack charged forward. "Look Thor, glad as we are to see you, Sam and I are no longer part of the SGC."

"Does not Samantha still manage the Astrophysics Department?"

"Yes. But she's a paper pusher, Thor, as in she no longer goes off world and fights evil, manic depressed aliens. Despite our altered genetics, we're an average, boring, married couple with two kids living normal lives, of which, we'd like to return to ASAP, Pronto! Get my drift?"

"I regret to interrupt your average, boring, normal lives, General O'Neill, Doctor O'Neill, but I'm afraid that is not an option."

Sam stomped over to the Asgard, hunkered down and shook her fist in his small gray face. "Enough, Thor! I have no intention to hyper-jump around the universe with you or anyone else. Nor does, Jack. We did our bit saving the world, the galaxy and the Asgards' scrawny asses. Now send us home or so help me, I'll send you into orbit!"

Jack stared at his fired-up wife. Sure brought back Carter kick butt memories. Meanwhile, Thor's large eyes blinked a lot. He even appeared to wheeze. Sam had never gone off on the sweet little guy before. Thor was clearly taken back by her ranting, but didn't budge. The little guy had balls. Well, okay so that wasn't the best analogy.

"He has your youngest daughter and son," Thor said regretfully.

"Huh?" Jack and Sam said in unison.

"Who?" Jack gulped.

"Senator Kinsey."

Sam stepped back beside Jack, who was downloading this outrageous news.

"Kinsey's died years ago, when he tried to wipe out the U.N. delegates and the president."

"Do-oh!" Jack nodded. "Yep, I zatted the smarmy bastard myself."

"Indeed," said a familiar voice from behind them.

Jack and Sam swung about toward the familiar voice.

"T?" Jack asked, "Murray!"

Sam ran toward the Jaffa, who hugged her like a lost friend.

"Hey, aren't you off world in negotiations all week?" Jack walked over and hugged him, although they'd be seeing each other this weekend at Daniel's.

"I was." He motioned to Thor. "Until he transported me onboard."

Jack frowned at Thor. "Okay, little buddy, this is getting out of hand. Next you're going to tell me that you beamed up Doctor Jackson."

"Sure did." Daniel ambled from another doorway wearing his tan bandana, digger shorts, gloves, and covered in red wet clay.

"Daniel." Jack was cold.

"Jack." Daniel was cautious.

"Daniel!" Sam hurled herself at him and then recoiled at his muddy condition. "Still at your dig, on PX1-499 huh?"

"Was, is the operative word." Daniel glared at Thor as he removed his dirty glasses and shook water from his ears.

"Glad to see we're not the only ones caught off guard." Sam giggled.

Daniel glanced at her robe and then Jack. "Playing in that new shower again, kids?"

Sam jabbed Daniel in the ribs and blushed.

"Ow!" He gasped with a grin.

Teal'c smirked broadly without the raised eyebrow. Eleven years after the fact, Jack still was adjusting to T with hair let alone shoulder length dreadlocks. Jack figured Teal'c was going through a phase making up for all those years of being bald.

"Give us a break, hey." Jack knocked water from his ears -- again. "We're still making up for lost time."

Thor walked forward. "SG-1, I apologize for my actions. But found it essential as Jack would say, to shove out the big gun." Thor gestured at the four people before him.

"It's, get out the big guns," Jack corrected with a sniff.

"Whatever," Thor replied flatly.

The four humans gaped.

"I believe Thor has obtained some of your colloquial humor, O'Neill."

"Ya think." Jack groused, running his palms across his face in frustration. He turned to Sam who tilted her blonde head with a pleading look that made his heart ache. For an instant the force field on Anubis' ship stood between them. He felt helpless.

'_Please Jack,' _she asked inside his mind. _'Do something?'_

Jack shut his eyes and then glanced back at the Asgard military leader. "Thor, you're serious about Kinsey?"

"I would never make heavy of such a staid situation."

Jack lifted his hand to correct Thor's cliché abuse, but Sam interrupted. "So you're telling us that he's alive and has abducted our children?" Her shoulders slumped and her gray-blue eyes teared-up.

"Correct, Colonel." Thor walked to his command station.

Daniel ambled over leaving mud chunks and water in his wake. "But we all saw Kinsey die. Jack shot him twice."

"He has a sarcophagi, Doctor Jackson." Thor explained as he moved shells around the control panel.

"Dang, knew I should have vaporized that dung heap." Jack groused.

Sam blanched. "We suspected but we never found one."

"A dung heap?" Jack looked wide-eyed at her.

"No, a sarcophagi," she corrected, sniffing.

'Oh,' he mouthed.

"That's because it was not on Earth. He had a mother ship. In fact, he is now Goa'uld," stated Thor.

"Ah, hate to correct you, Thor, but Kinsey was Goa'uld when I fried him. Now which one?" Jack muttered, "I mean we killed all the stinking head honchos, including Baal."

Sam cleared her throat.

"Fine. At least we haven't seen any more of Baal since we cleaned out his clones."

"Tanith." Thor informed.

"That cannot be!" Teal'c argued angrily, "I brought down his ship. It crashed into the Stargate and exploded almost twenty years ago."

"Oh, please! T's right. Tanith's old news."

"I only know what information has been presented me. Yes, Tanith's host died, but Tanith was rescued. Having similar goals, Kinsey and Tanith were joined over nine of your Earth years back. Since then, they have built a fleet to not only destroy Earth, but rule the minor systems lords."

"Minor, being the major word." Daniel sighed. "I'd really hoped we wouldn't see any Goa'uld activity for another century or more."

"Which brings the matter of why our kids?" Jack wanted to hit something or someone. "I mean what do Grace and JJ have to do with being a King Snakehead?" He stalked toward the wall panels beside Daniel.

Daniel instinctively took a step back from his irate friend. "You mean besides the fact, that Kinsey loathes your guts, Jack?"

"Well there's that." He conceded.

"No doubt it's yours and Sam's genetic makeup. We know there were some changes from the first Ancient download, but after you received the last one your DNA permanently altered. And both your DNA changed when you branded and bonded as life mates, which resulted in Sam obtaining your DNA makeup—"

"Yeah, yeah, we know our ancient history, Daniel. We were there, remember?" He kicked a wall panel hard. It glowed red. He'd stubbed his big toe. "Ouch! Shit!" He hobbled back to Sam.

Sam rolled her eyes at his antics. Her fists balled at her sides. Jack knew she wanted to hit something too. He took a step back. Darn if it would to be him.

Meanwhile Daniel got that goofy look on his face. Like when he just discovered a new dead language. "Hey guys, remember what Oma showed me when I was still an Ancient about you two being the chosen hearts and the future of mankind?"

"Gosh, no, Daniel," Jack snorted sarcastically, "Maybe you should refresh my Ancient memory? But wait, I forgot, you're also Ancient. Older than dirt and jumping my daughter!"

"You just can't let go, can you?" Daniel pulled himself up and took a threatening step toward Jack. "Cass and I have history. We relate in ways that neither of us can with normal people. Why, if you had your way she'd be married to Bart Simpson instead of me!"

"Married? Crap! You're not engaged. You and Cass are hitched!" Jack prepared to let his right fist kiss Daniel's face.

"Guys!" Sam yelled. "As much as I'd like to see you idiots air out our family differences, now isn't the time!"

"O'Neill. Doctor Jackson," Teal'c said calmly stepping between the two feuding men. "Samantha is correct. We have the life-threatening matter of my god children's abduction."

"Jack?" Sam sent him a beseeching look and reaching out, cupped his balled fist and eased it down to his side. "Please?"

Jack nodded and but glared across at Daniel. "I so own you, four-eyes!"

"Anytime, _Dad_!" Daniel countered. "Hope your health insurrance is paid."

Surprised at Daniel's challenge, Jack's brows hitched up into his hairline. He drew a loud breath and let it out slowly as he turned his attention to that of his younger children.

Thor blinked and looked at Samantha for guidance.

"Therefore," she said with a shaking voice, "Grace and JJ have the enhanced Ancients DNA in their genetic makeup like Jack and me. But then so does Cassandra."

Jack flinched. He hoped Kinsey hadn't figured that out too. He glanced at Daniel whose concerned expression heightened at hearing Cassie's name. Jack sighed. Space Monkey was crazy for the girl. Jack's girl! Crap!

"Correct." Thor nodded. "And combined with Samantha's DNA which also includes Naquadra, Cassandra is as special as Grace and Jonathon. Jack and Samantha you were long ago chosen by the Keeper of the Stars. Your children are the future of this world and galaxy."

"Thor, we know how our genes are those of future generations, yadda, yadda." Jack rubbed his tensed neck muscles. "And I so don't wanna talk about that. I just want to get my kids back, now!"

"Jack?" Sam moved toward him but he angrily avoided her and gave her a sharp look. They agreed on most issues, but this remained a sore subject between them. Yes, they knew that one day they'd have to face the reality their children were unique, and even face a greater evil than the Goa'uld, Replicators, Wrath and Ori. Jack preferred not to think about that. He had insisted it not affect their kid's innocence or childhood. He'd gotten his way until now.

"Sorry, Sam, but my feelings remain firm. After what Cass went through with Nirrti, our kids will not be guinea pigs ever again! Crap, that's it?" He glanced back at Thor.

"I am afraid so, O'Neill. Apparently Nirrti is also alive."

"Naw! I lit her fire years ago. Rodney McKay and Teal'c saw me kill her."

Teal'c nodded in confirmation.

"All I know is what I've been told, O'Neill. Nirrti escaped the dead host's body and has been collaborating with Kinsey/Tanith to harvest genes to produce a hybrid Goa'uld that is Tau'ri, Ancient and Goa'uld. This species will surpass Anubis. Apparently an Earth scientist developed a female Tau'ri and Goa'uld hybrid."

Daniel nodded. "Yeah his name was Keffler, worked for the rogue NID. You remember, Sam?"

"How could I forget?" She shuddered.

"Teal'c?" asked Daniel.

"Indeed. I helped defuse the Goa'uld bomb."

Jack scratched his head. "Ah, kids, I'm having a memory fart."

"Because," Sam explained, "you weren't there, Hon. It happened right after you got shot by that staff weapon when Janet died." Sam's mouth dipped low. "You were still recovering."

"Ah."

"It was in the memo, Jack." Daniel smeared dirt from his face.

"What memo?"

They gaped at him, smiled and shook their heads. Thor mimicked their gesture.

"What?"

They continued to stare.

"Um, oh." He blushed. "Okay, fill me in." He looked to Daniel. Yeah, wanting to knock his lights out had been put on hold -- for now.

"Jack, we don't even know if it has anything to do with this."

"Enlighten me, Danny Boy!" Jack barked.

"Okay. Don't bite my head off."

Sam began to wobble. "Guys, I don't feel so good—"

Jack rushed over and caught her to him. "Sam, stay with me. We'll get them back. Right, kids?"

"Sure thing." Daniel straightened and smiled with as much confidence as he could muster especially if his theory was even remotely correct.

Teal'c went to Sam's side. "We will take whatever measures necessary to locate Grace and JJ O'Neill. We will bring them home, Samantha." He smiled down at her.

"Hey, we've been in this situation before." Jack reassured her.

"We have not." Teal'c corrected.

Jack delivered his, _what_ look. "Um, go along with me here, wilya T?"

"As you wish, O'Neill." Teal'c looked at Sam and said with confidence. "This will be a cakewalk, Samantha."

"Sweet." Jack embraced his shaken wife and glanced over at his friends, revealing his true concern. The others turned grim and nodded. Including Thor. The odds were not in their favor, But Jack would rather burn in Ne'tu than tell his Sam.

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"Grace?"

"What, JJ?"

"I'm scared."

"Me too."

"They'll come get us, right?"

"Of course, Rockhead. Mom'll build a huge Naquadah generated bomb to blow them to kingdom come and Dad will kick their smarmy Goa'uld assholes into the next galaxy."

"Grace!"

"What?"

"You swore."

"I know. Dad would be proud."

"Yeah sure yabetcha."


	4. Chapter 4

Chosen Heart Series: Never Say Never Novella - Chapter Four

Dear faithful readers,

I want to thank everyone who's taken the time to send me a review on, Never Say Never, and all of the Jack/Sam ship fics that I love to write.

Sorry for the delay on this WIP but I said it'd take awhile to complete. I hope chapter 4 was worth your long wait.

HailDorothy

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"Gracie?"

"What?" she asked.

"How come it feels like the room's moving?"

"Beats me. I'm not the family genius. I suppose we could be on a space ship."

"Wow, like the O'Neill II?"

"Nope, mom blew up both O'Neill's years ago."

"I think dad's still pissed about that."

"Naw. But he likes mom to think so. Besides, Thor said they were building another ship with dad's name."

"Cool." JJ shivered and Grace eased her arm around his smaller shoulders.

"Yeah, dad says third times a charm. Hey, don't worry we'll get out of this, bro. 'Sides we've been in situations like this before, right?"

"Don't think so." JJ wormed his way closer against his big sister. "Baddest thing I can think of is when you copied one of mom's work papers for your fifth grade science project."

"Hey, I decided to explain how a bubble is formed."

"Yeah and was grounded for a month and got me grounded for two weeks coz it was my idea. I swear dad was going to horsewhip my butt when he took me up to the cabin, alone. He told me over and over how his grandpa used a willow tree branch and tanned his hid whenever he was bad. Man oh man, was he ticked. And it was all your fault."

"Hey, I almost failed science. And mom was a lot madder than dad, especially when she found out you got the idea because dad told you how he'd once cheated on a biology paper in high school. I think dad took you to the cabin to escape mom."

"Well, I'd rather face dad's threat of being spanked until I couldn't sit than whatever this is."

"Yeah, me too." A moment fell between the cuddling siblings.

"I sure wish we could see something." JJ complained and shifted on the cold hard floor.

"Ow!" Grace yelped.

"What?"

"Something just crawled across my leg." She shuddered and pulled her knees to her chest.

"Hey, don't your IPOD have a mini-light."

"Um, yeah. Forgot. But I only use it for night reading." She fumbled and removed the earpiece from her left lobe. "This won't be very bright, but we'll at least see where we are." She switched on the light and slowly scanned their surroundings.

"Holy crap!" JJ leaped back against the wall taking Grace with him. "What-what's those robot thingys and how come the walls and floor's moving?"

"I think they're what dad calls Replicators. Smart bugs." Grace gulped. "Man, I hate bugs!"

"So what'll we do, sis?" JJ was practically in her lap.

"Stay still." She whispered in his ear. "From now on we talk in our heads."

"But dad said we can't do that."

'_JJ we're in trouble here!'_ Grace said telepathically. _'We talk this way all the time and mom and dad don't know. We gotta send an S.O.S. to them and Cass, and pray they get us the heck out of here.' _

The room became bathed in bright light and a tall slender man with curly black hair walked out from the opposite wall.

"Who-who are you?" Grace asked, sounding stronger than she felt as he approached and hunkered down before her and JJ.

JJ clung to Grace for life.

The man's eyes were black as night. "I am your friend, Grace O'Neill. My name is Fifth. I know your mother, Samantha, personally. She and I are to be how would you say? Lovers, husband and wife."

"Sorry to burst your bubble but my mom's married to my dad, General Jack O'Neill," she countered.

"Not for long." Fifth smiled evilly.

"I don't like you." JJ found his voice.

"Nor I you. But I need you and your sister to help me understand your Ancient gifts and why Samantha has such a strong bond with you. The better I understand you, little creatures, the easier it will be to convince Samantha to come away with me. To be my queen."

"I don't think so." JJ stuck out his chin. "My mom is already a queen and my dad's her king."

"JJ shut up." Grace ordered.

"No! He needs to know that dad'll kick his smarmy butt!"

Fifth laughed and with the flick of his right wrist elevated them off the floor then slammed them against the opposite wall. The wall became alive with little building blocks that secured themselves around each child, until all that was exposed were their heads.

JJ started to cry.

"Stop it, Fifth!" Grace struggled to break free but couldn't move an inch.

"When I have extracted what I need, I will stop." With that, Fifth extended his hands, inserting one hand into JJ's forehead and the other into Grace's.

The children screamed and then went silent!

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Jack insisted that he and Sam have some privacy. Thor escorted them to private quarters that resembled their bedroom right down to their king size sleigh bed and the new comforter and matching pillow cases, Sam had purchased two weeks back.

Thor seemed concerned about whether or not Sam liked what he'd done with the décor. If Jack didn't know better the little gray guy had the hots for his wife. Now that he thought about it, Thor seemed overtly attentive to Sam. Then again, the Asgard was not stupid and knew who needed to be charmed and it sure wasn't Jack.

"You are pleased with your accommodations, Samantha?"

'_Samantha?'_ Jack mouthed at his wife.

"It's wonderful, Thor." She bent down and gently hugged him. "Thank you."

"Then I am exceedingly blissful, Samantha." He returned the hug that included pressing his small mouth to her right cheek. Jack gaped at the first kiss between an Asgard and his wife. Thor turned and walked out looking rather smug—for an Asgard.

"He's getting more human all the time." Sam touched where he'd kissed her and then strolled to their bed and collapsed onto the mattress.

"Uh huh." Jack joined her. "Odd, do'cha think?" He gestured around the softly lit quarters as they perched on the bed with Sam resting her head on his shoulder.

"Knowing, Thor, its not odd. He's considerate and a psychological genius. He's not just here to get the kids back, he wants us to save the galaxy, again."

"Long as he doesn't charm the pants off you." Jack snorted.

"Jack! That's disgusting." Sam did a body shudder.

"And that's a relief." He grinned down.

"But ya must admit he's sort of cute." She waggled her light brows.

"Sure if gray's your favorite color." Jack did an eye roll.

"Actually it is." She locked her gaze with his and suggestively trailed her hand through his silvery hair. "Especially yours, sir."

"That was a compliment?"

Sam nodded yes and then glanced toward the ship's hull. "Um, are you aware that this ship is designed for humans, not Asgard?"

"Yep, first thing that caught my attention." He cleared his throat, hoping his fib went undetected although, he had noticed the ship's re-altered dimensions. "It's more a duplicate of the Ancient's battleship. I'll ask Thor what's up."

"You do that." Her hand under his pillow Sam beamed her mega watt smile that proclaimed she'd discovered something brilliant. She revealed her find and waved a black satin thong in his face.

"Holy crap!" He snatched the undergarment from her and glanced around, fearing someone might see. "I um . . .you wore this last night."

"Sure did." She winked.

Jack stuffed them in his pocket, then lifted his pillow and sniffed, smelling her. "This is just wrong on so many levels."

"It's our bed, Jack. I suspect Thor transported our room the same time he brought us. Which means we've got clothes." She bounded off the bed and went to their dressers. Sure enough, she waved a pair of blue jeans at him.

"Ah." He'd nodded and tried to let the Thor issue go, but that wasn't his nature. When he got a gut ache there was usually a nasty significant reason. "See that just isn't right. So not my buddy Thor. He doesn't think about beds, let alone romance or our sex life."

"Well, he got an eyeful in the shower, Jack. Remember the Asgard are very aware of their original human anatomy and they want to one day be able to reproduce like we do." She flung him a pair of boxers, socks and a t-shirt. Next his jeans and a sweater smacked him in the face.

"Hey, watch where you're aiming."

"I was." She said over her shoulder as she rummaged through her dresser's drawers and pulled out a pair of black jeans.

Snorting, Jack stood to dress, responding to their Asgard reproduction debate. "Sorta like being in a candy store and not being able to eat the candy." He chuckled at his witty remark as Sam dropped her robe and turned her creamy skinned backside to him. The world had no idea how many delicious freckles were hide beneath her clothes. Jack did. His gaze took in her slender shape and round firm derriere. Ah, yes that naughty little mole. All his!

Sam didn't appear to be listening and pulled a blouse over her head. "If we'd done it my way, we'd be able to mind merge with them, Jack." She turned and faced Jack.

"I know. I tried. Maybe they're sedated?" He wondered why they were dressing in civvies when they'd agreed to wear their BDU's. Then again, what if the uniforms no longer fit. Jeans were fine.

"Maybe if we'd agreed to raise them knowing their unique abilities, we'd have known the moment they'd been abducted." She countered angrily.

"Don't pull a Doctor Jackson on me." He hobbled over on one sock-dressed foot.

"And don't blame Daniel because you want to act as if our family is like everyone else on mother Earth when we're not!" She got in his face.

"You don't wanna got there, Carter. Not now!" Jack felt his restraint losing ground. He didn't want to get into a shouting match. Not that they still didn't have their fiery rounds. Heck, life would be boring without an occasional verbal Carter-O'Neill sparing, plus the making-up part never got old.

"Why not?" Sam pushed away. "Neither of us have been the same since Nirrti abducted us the first time. And yet you still keep up that stubborn O'Neill wall of denial and pretend we're the Brady Bunch." Tears warmed her eyes.

"Fine, fine." He returned to the bed and lifted the bed-duster looking for his sandals or shoes. No shoes! "So we're not the Brady Bunch. We're the new Mr. and Mrs. Adam and Eve, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I want our kids to live as normal as possible."

"I want normal too, Jack. But in a few years Grace will reach puberty and change like Cassandra did. Look how long after Nirrti supposedly fixed her, that she concealed her abilities from Janet and everyone else. She nearly went insane when her powers got out of control. We've got to get Grace and JJ safely back, tell them the truth and help them adjust." She began to shake again. Her tears flowed freely and Jack's heart tore into shreds seeing her this way.

"C'mere." He walked toward her.

Sam fell into his embrace and held on tight, sobbing. This also wasn't normal, Sam crying like a child. Jack nuzzled the sweet curve of her neck and kissing her there, he whispered, "With the stars as my witness, we'll find them, Sam. I promise!"

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Jack was relieved when Thor insisted they speak. He needed to get into military mode and stuff his emotions like he had in the old days. It proved not so easy after almost ten years of wearing his heart on his sleeve with Carter. But he'd adjust, he always did.

"O'Neill."

Jack was glad Thor sat in his commander's chair, because he feared if he'd have to hunker down on his knees, he'd never get up.

"What's so important that you couldn't talk to me around the rest of SG-1?" Oy, had he just said SG-1? Yep.

"They will know in time, O'Neill, but I feel it imperative you hear this from me first."

"Okay, shoot." Jack waved a hand of permission.

"Matters are far graver than I first relayed."

"Oh, I don't think so." Jack felt his contained anger seeping through.

"There is a serious reason why we left Earth's orbit."

"Smarmy Kinsey/Tanith have my kids. Don't get much graver than that."

Thor blinked and if Jack didn't know better his pencil thin mouth arched into a sneer. "As much as I am saddened by your personal lose, I fear your galaxy and mine are in far greater danger than ever before."

"Because of Tanith?"

"Yes. His recent action only complicates the real danger, O'Neill."

"Fercryin'outloud, Thor, get to the point." Jack scrubbed his hands over his face and into his hair.

"A highbred Wraith species are out to dominate the major galaxies. As we speak, Wraith are attacking Atlantis while a Hive ship and its fleet are in route to Earth."

"First off, the Wraith and Tauri made peace five years ago. Most of the Wraith have been freed from the virus and turned back into humans."

"This is a new hive that just arrived in the Pegasus System. They know nothing of the residential Wraith's treaty with Atlantis and Earth, or about the cure for the virus. Nor do I believe they want to be cured."

"Thor, if you're right, I'd have known of such that situation." Jack snorted and shoved his hands into his jean pockets.

"Why, Jack?" Sam came around the corner, her cheeks flushed and hands fisted at her sides. "You're as much out of the loop as I am."

"Um, because Hank would have called me."

"Really?" She rolled her gorgeous blue eyes.

"Yes." Jack straightened to his intimidating height. "It's an agreement we made when he accepted the Homeworld Security position five years back. Just like I kept him appraised, Hank always keeps me . . ." He patted the robe for his cell phone. "Dang! So does Mitchell." He glared at Thor.

"Forgive me, O'Neill." Jack's cell phone materialized at his feet. It was ringing.

"I know I have a great long distance plan, but I don't think it includes hyperspace."

"I took the liberty of interfacing your audio function with the ship's computer mainframe. You may speak with whoever has rung you, O'Neill."

"Cool." After he retrieved the phone he found Sam standing before him, her arms folded over her chest, glaring. Great now they both were angry. Daniel and Teal'c were behind her and they weren't happy campers.

"I'd have told, you guys, but . . ."

"Answer it." She glowered. "On speaker, please?"

"Oh, sure." He looked at the incoming numbers. One was the SGC the other, Homeworld Security. He opted to talk to Mitchell first. "O'Neill here." He hit the speaker button.

"General, sir! Are you and Sam okay?"

"We're fine, Cam, just a spaced out."

"I've bad news, sir."

"Yes. I know Grace and JJ were abducted. We're on it with some help from Thor."

"What a relief! NORAD picked up the transfer beacon from their school then your house two hours ago, but we couldn't determine if it was Asgard or Goa'uld. Are Teal'c and Daniel with you? Because they've also vanished."

"Yep, SG-1 is all accounted for. We're onboard the Jack O'Neill II."

"O'Neill III." Thor corrected.

"Really?" Jack scrunched his face. "When'd that happen?"

"After Samantha blew up the O'Neill II."

"Ah, yes. She's got a fetish for blowing up my namesakes." Jack gave her an accusatory look.

"Sorry, sir." Sam grinned.

"No, you're not." He snorted.

Jack looked up to find Daniel and Teal'c had entered the bridge. Thor looked paler than ever as the little guy slumped into his seat. Was there something else going on with the Asgard?

"SG-1, sir?" Cameron interrupted the silence.

"Long story, Cam. Any word from Landry?"

"Oh, yeah, he's wild! Serious shit going down. The President's called an emergency session of the Chiefs of Staff and Homeworld Security. The United Nations is locked down and Homeland Security's on high alert. So's South America, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

"We just got word that Atlantis launched with a Wraith fleet in pursuit. Yet nothing from Weir, Sheppard or any of the Atlantis SG teams. Whatever occurred there happened so fast they had no time to communicate. And we don't know who has command of the Atlantis land post.

"Oh, we've also lost contact with the Alpha and Omega posts. Our gate crashed about five minutes ago and Walter still can't dial it up. I evacuated all civilian personnel. Meanwhile we're on lockdown. If base security is compromised, I will engage the self-destruct device, sir."

Jack took a sharp breath and exhaled. "You talk to Landry?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, I'm outa the chain of command. That's your call, but if it's any consolation, I'd do the same, son."

"I know, General. We can't let the enemy—whatever or whoever it is, get a hold of the gate or our technology."

"And you've engaged Bogus Charlie E-2 regarding the gate?"

"Of course, sir. No matter what the gate's safe. Wait!" Jack heard Cam's connection click.

Jack stared wide-eyed at his phone, then at Sam and Thor. "He put me on hold."

Sam wasn't smiling.

Daniel glared.

Both of Teal'c's brows had vanished into his black hairline and his fat lips were thinned out.

"Guess I'll um, hold." Jack donned his dense look and glanced innocently around the bridge.

"Sorry, sir," Cam's voice rang out. "That was Landry. Area 51 at Nellis is now in the same defense mode."

"Well that makes me all warm and fuzzy." Jack exhaled. "Okay. Hey any word from Atlantis?"

"Not that I'm aware. Before all this happened, Doctor McKay gated over this morning to brainstorm with his sister, Doctor Miller, on a pet project. But we started picking up strange sub-space signals around 0500 hours. Don't know from where the signals originate. They're not Wraith and definitely not Goa'uld or Ori."

"Peachy. How about the Tok'ra?"

"No, sir. Nothing in two years. Oh, Landry's tired of being on hold, sir."

"Gotcha." The call from Landry beeped through again.

"Okay, Cam, keep me apprised. Gotta go." Jack switched over to Landry.

"Sorry, Hank. I sure hope you have better news than what I just got from Mitchell."

"Hardly. Are we on conference call, Jack?"

"Yes."

"We need to speak privately."

"Okay." Jack blew out his lips and turned off the speaker option. Sam took a step forward but he raised a hand and shook his head. His narrowed glint spoke volumes and she backed off. Daniel and Teal'c said nothing. They knew when not to cross Jack's line of fire and this was such a time.

Thor seemed suddenly interested in his communication stones. Jack turned and walked over to the observation window. "Speaker's off, Hank. Now what's up?"

A minute later the only audible word to escape Jack's lips was, "Crap!"

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No one asked Jack what Major General Landry had relayed to him, but Jack knew it was eating Sam up. All those years of being in on the world's greatest secret, the Stargate, she didn't handle being left out the loop.

And the news was horrific! He was glad they were out of Earth's orbit. Glad Sam couldn't see what was about to happen on their beloved home world, Earth. One thing he did was to curse the world leaders for letting the Stargate Program go public and that lead to a false security and a lowering of expenditures for Earth's defense. Everyone had to have a piece of the pie. Well just peachy, no there was no pie!

Jack redialed Cassandra's cell phone and got dead air. He called Cameron and learned she was on base in the infirmary. Much as Jack wanted her off the planet, he knew that Cassandra would detest his interference. She had a job to do and like her mother at that age, duty came first, even before family.

Finally alone with his wife, he knew Sam was ticked off to learn that he had never stopped being part of the loop after he'd retired. It was just a matter of time before she cornered him. All he could do was pray he'd have time to create a believable enough story to protect her.

Thor once more insisted they dress military. Succumbing to his wishes, they'd just divested their civvies and donned their green BDU's.

Buttoning up her starched shirt, Sam looked over at him. "I can't believe Thor brought our SG-1 BDU's. You know I had them boxed up in the attic."

Jack nodded and crinkled in nose. "Yeah, the mothballs were a dead give away." He twitched his nose and grimaced. "Hey, maybe the Wraith are allergic to them, ya know like bee stings."

Sam delivered one of her exasperated looks. "What blows my mind is that Thor beamed up weapons, a Naquadah reactor and the two ZPM's from the SGC."

"I was just thrilled to see all that C-4." Jack smirked.

"And the gate travel equipment, that include MAPs and UVAs."

"Are those what I tripped over before?" Jack's smart mouth got him a dirty look, but he didn't apologize.

"Strange that Cam didn't mention he was missing some toys."

"Don't worry, Hank mentioned it very loudly. Told ya, the little grey guy has a heart as big as Kansas." Jack chuckled, adjusting the worn belt and pleased to discover it on the same notch as ten years ago.

"You look darn sexy, General O'Neill."

"Not Colonel?" he grinned, assuming this was her way to charm the truth out of him.

"Only if you wanna play CO and 2IC?" She winked, pulling her hair into a ponytail, which made her look younger than ever. Considering she had turned forty-nine this May, she didn't look a day over thirty-nine, then again, she hadn't looked thirty-nine even when she had been. Was that a double negative?

"And no, I'm no longer mad that you are in the loop, Jack. I always figured, even hoped you were."

"And?" he was still waiting for the other shoe to fall.

"And nothing." She walked over and kissed his cheek. "Now can we talk about how we're going to save our kids?" Her eyes misted over. "I want to kick Kinsey-Tanith's slimy ass."

"Slimy?" he snickered and held her tightly to him. Jack was glad Sam was back to her former confident self. He knew she was putting on a front, but the fact she tried, made him more secure about what they were about to do. Trouble was, no matter how stressed, it just wasn't like Sam to get weak-kneed or whiny. He worried. Only time that had ever happened had been when—Nay, no way! Gut ache! Sweet! He grinned at the prospect. But wait he'd had a nip and tuck seven years ago. What was this, an Immaculate Conception? Nope, that'd been done before.

"Jack, Sam, you two decent?" Daniel called out, breaking Jack from his newest concern.

"Yeah, Daniel." Jack answered, "C'mon in."

The men entered the furnished quarters dressed in green BDU's.

"Hey, Jack?" The linguist gawked at the bedroom set.

"Daniel?"

"Err . . .um, isn't this your and Sam's stuff?"

"Yes. And don't ask."

"Okay." He flinched at Jack's harsh tone.

"Wow, freaky flashback." Sam commented to Daniel and Teal'c as she finished blousing her pants cuff over her right boot.

"Feels weird." Daniel glanced at everyone and shuddered. "This is worse than 1969."

"Ah, yes, 1969. It was a very good year," Jack singsonged then winked at Sam, who blushed.

"I concur, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c added, smoothing his jet-black dredge locks with one hand while the other held his staff weapon. The married Jaffa and father of four still had that muscle-bound animal magnetism that made women drool and men cringe. Jack couldn't help muse that now instead of talking weapons and battle maneuvers they discussed kids, sports and gardening on their weekend get-togethers.

After SG-1 disbanded, Teal'c became Earth's first ambassador to Chulak. The Jaffa nation was still in turmoil and petty civil wars. True to his word, Teal'c had helped free his people from the Goa'uld. Sadly, they remained enslaved to the old ways. However, all those years of being branded a Shol'vah had taken their toll on the former Jaffa. When the high council had looked to Teal'c for leadership, he declined, walked away. Like Jack he wanted to live out his days in quiet peace with children at his feet. Jack was not surprised when Teal'c declared Earth his new home. He was not only a legal alien; he was a U.S. citizen and an Earth liaison. He'd not carried or used his staff weapon in years.

As for Rya'c, he and his wife remained with the disbanded Free Jaffa. He'd been elected to head the Jaffa council and had his hands full keeping the tribes united. Bra'tac was getting on in years, and lived with Rya'c, but stayed in shape and visited Earth often.

Teal'c and his wife Ishta had purchased a home near Jack and Sam's and their three oldest children were enrolled in school in the Springs with Grace and JJ. SG-1's vow to always remain family had yet to be broken. Well almost. When Jack's regard turned to Daniel, his brows shifted and his eyes narrowed on the linguist.

Jack watched Daniel secure his BDU cap over his head, his graying temples made prominent by the green camouflaged cap. Jack glanced at Sam, who appeared to be tampering with his thoughts. He blocked her, at least tried. He looked away, sucked in air and blew out.

Daniel married to their daughter. What were the odds? Was Daniel bonkers or what? They had to talk man to man, no holds barred. If Daniel had gotten to fourth base with Cassie, he was so dead! Wait, if they'd married, he'd definitely made a home run!

That did it!

Sam finished her left boot and stood as he started toward Daniel who was chatting with Teal'c about donuts.

'_What?'_ He innocently mouthed as she stepped in front of him.

'_Don't you dare get into that now with Daniel!' _She shook her blonde head and did her stern eyebrow shift.

'_Yeah, yeah,'_ he muttered in his head. _'I'm a dad, watcha expect?'_

She sighed. _'Military restraint would be nice.' _

He snuffed a breath. _'Tell that to the hand.' _He mocked with a twisted smile, letting her know he was teasing, for now.

'_Last time I bit the hand_.' She winked.

'_Careful_!' He chuckled, then cleared his throat when he saw Teal'c's right brow shift as he observed them, knowingly.

Teal'c, Daniel, and the Asgard knew that ever since he and Sam branded eleven years ago, they didn't need verbal exchange to communicate about anything. No one, not even T or Daniel, knew just how deeply they were emotionally, mentally, and physically bonded or that they strove to not know each other's every thought or emotion.

Thanks to Loki's assistance they'd basically learned to disconnect and tune out. Considering, how private they were, that had been a joint mandate or they'd have been divorced before the ink dried on the marriage license. Just like this morning, he knew Sam intended to play hooky, he'd just chosen not to know when. Like there were things you want to be surprised about, right?

Tuning his wife out, Jack checked his Swiss Army knife, Zat and 9mil. He then slipped the strap holding his trusty P-90 over his shoulder and patted the automatic weapon against his hip. True there were better rifles out thee now, but Jack had always preferred this weapon. Odd, how natural it felt in his arms, just like holding Sam.

"Now what, kids?"

They looked at him oddly.

"Hey, I admit I'm clueless. Been out of the game awhile."

"Haven't we all?" Sam sighed, as she locked the safety of P-90 then checked her zat sidearm and pistol.

"Well, at least the three of you get to play off world occasionally." Jack groused.

"So do you, Mr. General Consultant," Sam injected.

"Yeah, well, I don't consider negotiating with flying monkeys who consider Peanut Butter an aphrodisiac, eventful." He snuffed a breath, recalling the weird occupants of PX0-551. Way too much like Oz.

"And that's a lot to do about nothing, Jack." Daniel snorted.

"Ya don't say?" Jack countered.

"The last eight years all my trips have been just as monotonous. I haven't fired a weapon since the Atlantis rescue mission, let alone a Zat." Daniel pulled out his Zat and flicked the handle release that raised the weapon into a firing position.

"Hey, hey, watch where you point that!" Jack warned, pulling Sam out of Daniel's range and stepping protectively in front of her.

"Oops sorry." Daniel shut down the weapon and slipped it back in his holster.

Sam swatted Jack aside but grinned at his chivalrous behavior.

"Sorry. Old habits die hard, ya know."

Sam planted a hot kiss on his open mouth. "I like your old habits, flyboy."

"Excellent." He tried for another kiss, but she eluded him.

"Jack, Sam? Teal'c, Thor and I were talking," said Daniel.

"And?" Jack and Sam asked on cue.

"Well, I know this might sound like a dumb idea, but . . .under the circumstances, we, that is Teal'c and I—would like . . ."

"Jeez, Daniel, clock's ticking." Jack tapped his watch and scowled.

"I believe what Dr. Jackson suggests is that we become SG-1 again. You, O'Neill, would be our CO and we would all assume our former posts before you became General."

"Yeah, like that's a really dumb idea!" Jack shook his head and hoped his kids were still safe and alive.

"Umm, Teal'c has a point, sir." Sam spoke up.

Jack's eyes bugged out. "Oy! Not you too?"

"Not necessarily." She put up a hand.

"Well that's a relief."

"However—"

"Ahh, here we go." He dropped dejectedly onto their bed and tossed his hands into the air, muttering.

Sam grinned at his drama-queen performance. "Jack, I've gone over our options and there aren't many. I assume Hank and Cam want us to work with them on this."

"Yeah. That's the plan."

"Well Daniel, Teal'c and I are onboard with your plan."

"There's a plan?" He looked at his friends with his deer caught in the headlights expression.

"Jack." Sam let out a frustrated sigh.

"Sorry. Just we need plan A before we get carried away here."

"I know. Now we assume our satellites detected the energy surge when Kinsey abducted the kids, not to mention there were probably witnesses at school and the media is all over it."

"Exactly." Jack argued, "In fact we should contact Cassandra again."

"Again?" Sam stared at him. "I tried several times and got nothing but dead air."

"I know, but Cam said she's on base —"

Thor entered the room. "I already spoke with Cassandra. She is well. As for the media, General Mitchell is managing that problem. Oh, yes Atlantis has safely entered the galaxy."

"Oh, thanks." Jack turned back to his friends and stood up. "And for the record, Thor, I think your idea to reinstate SG-1 is wacko."

Thor blinked. "Considering the dire circumstances, it seems the most logical course of action, O'Neill."

"Well, I'm too old for that stuff. So are you guys." Jack looked at Daniel and Teal'c.

"Speak for yourself." Sam did her Turtledove chin tuck.

"Thought I just did." Jack groaned. _Ah, here it comes. _

"Hon, Thor's right, logically it makes sense. If we resume our former team roles, we will get back into form much faster. Our trust and comfort zones as well as level of team functionality will return, as will our military skills. But I don't think we have to demote ourselves. You should still be General and I'll be Colonel. Just like our last off world mission before we got married."

Jack scrubbed his hands over his face then looked at the three eager faces, four counting Thor's. "So you all buy into this psycho team gibberish?"

They looked at each then back at Jack and grinned.

"What?" He whined.

"I'm game if you are, General Jack." Daniel nodded.

"As am I, O'Neill." Teal'c nodded.

Jack looked at his wife—um, Colonel. "Sam?"

"In concurrence, General, sir." She saluted.

"Guess that's my answer." He stood and pulled her against him.

"Indeed." Teal'c smiled at the embracing couple.

"In other words you're all going to be a royal pain in my assets, again."

"Yes, sir." They answered as one.

"Well there you go. Grace has a recital Saturday night and if we miss it there'll be heck to pay."

"And I wouldn't be too pleased either, Dad."

All heads turned as the SGC's Chief Medical Officer Captain Cassandra Fraiser-O'Neill waltzed around the corner, and then without hesitation walked up to Daniel and kissed the linguist. Daniel's original stupefied expression was priceless. Yet the intimate way he held Cassandra said he was enjoying himself.

"Oy!" Jack's mouth dropped open as he glanced at a smiling Sam and then choked out, "Just where did our daughter learn to do that?"

"Must be the O'Neill genes." Sam smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Whatever!" he said miserably, the let go of his wife and stalked off.

"Jack, where are you going?" Sam called out.

"Someplace I can be alone and wrap my head around all of this!" He emphasized by stretching his arms as if describing a huge lake bass. "Thor, which way to the head?"

"Follow me, O'Neill." Thor led him out of the cramped quarters.

Cassandra and Daniel had broken their kiss. Daniel frowned at Jack's stiff backed departure. "Boy, he's really torked."

"Ya think?" Cassandra made eye contact with her mother who wasn't looking well.

"Mom, you okay?"

"I—I," Sam covered her mouth as nausea washed over her.

A flash of light enveloped SG-1 and Cassandra and transported them onto the ship's bridge near the helm. Another flash of light and over a dozen familiar people stood in various stages of motion and to Sam's horror, dress.

One familiar face, retired General George Hammond wore a colorful Hawaiian print shirt, white shorts and sandals. He and his family had retired to Hawaii five years ago. His remarried daughter, two married granddaughters with their spouses and children arrived in various positions.

George looked around the Asgard vessel and bellowed. "Will someone explain what the hell's going on here?"

"Beats me, George." Harry Maybourne in medieval garb and his kingly crown looked around. "I was about to marry my eighth wife. Which means Jack's got a sneaky hand in my kidnapping. I swear he just can't stand me being happy!"

The next moment eight women and dozens of children appeared and clamped onto Harry like their life depended on him. If Sam didn't feel so lousy she'd have laughed. This was just way too bizarre for words. Meanwhile flashes of vertical light revealed more arrivals of former, past and present employees of the SGC.

Doctor Lee, Doctor Jay Felger and his wife, Cloe and kids. The next to beam up were Silar, Harriman, Colonel Reynolds, General Mitchell with his wife Vala Man Doran and their two kids. Sam noted the spouses of the other men and their children were also popping in, that included infants and toddlers. It was as if the entire SGC daycare center had arrived. Yep, Sam recognized four of the center's staff.

Then came Rodney McKay and his sister Doctor Jeannie Miller. "I demand to speak to whom ever's running this gravy-train." Rodney blasted as he made his presence known.

"Chill, Rodney." Jeannie tried to sooth him.

Sam winced and snuck away. She didn't want to deal with McKay right now. A moment later, Teal'c's wife Ishta and family arrived looking equally shocked. Next the SGC's medical and commissary staff popped into the adjoining corridor.

Sam got dizzy counting heads. What was Thor doing? If she didn't know better he'd just beamed up the entire SGC. Sam craned her neck and spotted Thor at the helm. His mouth was moving and he appeared to be struggling to stay upright. He looked gravely ill. Jack's previous suspicions that something was seriously wrong with Thor proved correct.

Next, the SGC teams appeared, as well as armed SF's and Marines. Sam was shoulder to shoulder with a Marine eating a hot hamburger. He dropped the loaded bun and landed on his butt. He stared in shock when Sam helped him to his feet.

"Ma'am?" he asked staring at her uniform.

"Sorry, Sergeant, I've got nothing," she quickly said.

From the corner of her gaze she saw General Landry, Colonel Sheppard, and his wife the newly elected President of Atlantis, Doctor Elizabeth Weir, and their kids.

"Elizabeth?" Sam stepped between bodies and came to her side. "I thought you were aboard Atlantis."

"We were. We couldn't take a chance transmitting to Earth. We just submerged her in the Pacific and got beamed up."

"Who's in charge down there?" Sam asked as Daniel came to her side.

"Colonel Caldwell." John explained. "Hey, I know Jack's got a problem with how that all went down. But after I was promoted to Brigadier General over Stevo, well we've come to a mutual understanding, even are friends. Besides, he's a first rate officer and my 2IC."

"Did I say anything?" Sam shared a smirk with Elizabeth.

"So what is Thor up too?" Elizabeth inquired. John gave a look that asked the same.

"We're as in the dark as you. Well, other than Grace and JJ were abducted by Kinsey and Tanith this morning."

"Oh no!" Elizabeth hugged Sam. "Are you all right?"

"No. But I have to be strong for them. And we'll get them home soon as we understand what's happening on Earth."

Everyone heard Jack's bellow, "Thor, what the hell are ya doing?" He was shoving his way through the overflowing corridors and onto the cramped bridge. He maneuvered to where Thor had slouched over the consol.

With Hammond, Landry and other officers in her wake, Sam wormed her way to husband's side, where he held Thor. Jack glanced at her then shook his head in regret at Thor's failing health.

"Cassandra, get over here," Jack yelled above the din. "And someone get one of those Asgard stasis pods in here ASAP!"

Her medical bag in hand, Cassandra attempted to make her way through the maze but got blocked.

General Mitchell clambered onto a horizontal side panel behind Thor and putting two fingers between his lips, whistled, then ordered, "Shut up! And you, Jarheads, over there, let the doc through, now!"

The Marines parted like the red sea for the physician.

Meanwhile, Thor spoke softly to Jack and Sam. "I—I fought him the only way I could, O'Neill. I've transported everyone who can help you defend Earth and your galaxy, as well as weapons, ammunition, food and supplies. I fear my ship cannot accommodate anymore. However, the Prometheus II and three of your Earth defense vessels are out of harms way."

"But we need them to defend earth." Sam insisted.

"They would not succeed. It is as Jack would say, 'Better to run for the hills and live to fight another day.'"

Sam smiled down at the Asgard then caught Jack's glum expression. Her smile faded.

"I manned your fleet best I could, Jack. I had to act without his detecting my intentions. I fear that task has drained my life force. You must initiate Plan D."

"Thor, that's a joke right?" Jack paled and gaped at Sam who was openly perplexed.

General Hammond's ruddy complexion paled as he shut his eyes and let out a groan. Sam glanced at Landry who didn't look any better. While Cameron muttered, "Now this is not what I'm talking about."

'_Jack,'_ Sam asked in his head. _'What's plan D."_

'_Not now, Carter.'_

She grimaced, and then suddenly understood. The official procedure's title was _Operation Armageddon_. Sam recalled that Jack had called it Plan D for Doomsday. Sam began to shake as she remembered the specifics of that critical plan and her part in designing the secret headquarters. _Oh, Lord, this is really happening! _

"I do not joke, O'Neill." Thor seemed to have found his last wind. "We designed that joint operation a decade ago for a time such as this. You have since proceeded with the intricate arrangements, yes?"

"Sure, we're a little behind coz of military cutbacks, but it's viable. Especially after what you just did." He glanced around the packed ship of military folks and their families.

"Good. Then it might not be too late for your world. Too late for the Asgard. We are, as you'd say, Jack, _dead meat_. Our worlds were infiltrated from within. No warning. My race destroyed. The enemy can now look and behave like any species they chose. But you have a weapon they don't know about. You must defend yourselves."

"What weapon?"

"My namesake, your dog, Thor, and all other canine species. They can detect Replicators."

Familiar barking revealed their pet had also been beamed aboard.

"This is nuts!" Jack said as Thor bounded over and nudged Jack's palm with his wet muzzle, then did the same with Sam, who pet him.

The Asgard, Thor, weakly turned his head to Sam. "I'm sorry for what he made me do to you, Colonel Carter."

Sam and Jack exchanged looks.

"Um, did what?" Jack asked as he gently gripped the Asgard's slouching shoulders. Thor's large eyes blinked then shut.

"Thor!" Jack shook him. "What'd he do to Sam?"

"Of the specifics I am not certain." The Asgard opened his dim black eyes. "He took control of my mind and body. He is too powerful for me to read his thoughts or to control. The only way I can remove him from myself is to perish."

"We're talking Kinsey-Tanith, right?"

"No. They were mere fabrication. They are both dead as a doorknob."

"Then who's doing this?" Jack asked as Mitchell squirmed between General Hammond and Landry.

"Fifth." Thor slumped against Jack and Sam.

Cassandra squeezed in and checked the Asgard's pulse then looked into Jack's troubled gaze. "Sorry, Dad, Thor's dead."

"We'll put his body in stasis." Sam insisted. "It worked before. Maybe we can revive him later."

Sam saw a tear in Jack's eyes. But he swiped it clear and his military mask of indifference dropped back into place. An airman came through with the weightless Asgard stasis pod. The helm's occupants drew silent and watched with respect as Jack placed Thor's small lifeless body into the pod then sealed it shut.

"Oh, my God!" Someone yelled from the bridge's window port. It sounded like Rodney McKay.

A weird tingling sensation pulsed like an energy spike through the ship and passengers. The vessel's power shut down.

"What was that?" Cameron asked.

"Don't know. I'll check it out." Sam motioned to do go to the ship's engine room.

"Wait?" He held her back.

"It's my job, Jack."

"I know, but—"

The flashing emergency lighting ceased and the ship's power returned.

"We're back online." Walter announced from the helm's control module.

"Sirs," Walter spoke through the PA. "I've determined our position. Thor brought us back to Earth. Just behind the moon."

"Ah, duh." Jack muttered, as the Asgard ship hovered over the dark side of the moon's surface in full view Earth.

Walter then engaged the Asgard 3 D screen that projected a magnetized view of Earth for everyone on the bridge. Voices of shock and horror filtered through the ship. General Hammond led the way and respectful bodies parted to let the commanding officers through. Once in front of the ship's expansive view bay, they stared at the projected devastation below them.

"We are cloaked?" Landry asked Jack.

"Yeah. For what good that'll do." He cringed as they took in the dozens of Replicator ships appearing in Earth's orbit and firing upon their planet. Bright flashes of orange spiraled up through the atmosphere. It was like war of the worlds.

Sam tried not to tremble at the horror they witnessed. Billions of people were dying and she couldn't do anything to save them.

"We have to do something, Jack."

"I know. I'm thinking." He gave her a hug, but there was no light in his eyes. He felt as helpless as she did.

"We should attack!" Harry Maybourne yelled out in frustration.

"And then what, Harry?" Jack faced him. "One Asgard ship against a fleet of Replicators. They've clearly advanced over the decade. I trust Thor. We wouldn't last five minutes."

Harry's shoulders slumped with Jack's reality check.

"We can't just sit here and hide," said Cameron Mitchell.

"Yes, yes can." Landry patted the younger man's back. "We might be the last of the human race. We have to protect our families."

"I—refuse to watch this!" Harry stalked away and looked for his wives and children.

Sam and Jack exchanged sorrowful looks.

Meanwhile, familiar with the Asgard ship Walter was matching coordinates from the control console and yelled out, "They just hit D.C., London, Beijing, and Moscow, sirs."

"Crap!" Jack tucked his arm tighter around Sam's waist. Teal'c came to their side, while Ishta averted their children's curious gazes away from the one-sided battle. It appeared there was no defensive action taken on Earth's behalf. The orbiting armed satellites appeared inoperative. A moment later the international armed Space Station exploded.

"Why isn't the planet fighting back?" someone yelled out. Other voices of concern filtered the air.

"I've lost communication with Earth." Walter announced. "It's like the planet's completely disarmed and cut off."

Maybourne walked back with his entourage in tow and a crying infant in his arms. He actually looked concerned and held the child with the tenderness of a father. Sam and Jack starred at Harry's impressive parenting skills. Who'd have thought? Even stranger knowing that Thor had beamed Harry off his primitive little planet in another galaxy. Thor had been busy.

"So there are no safe houses on Earth?" Harry asked, his worried gaze meeting Jack's, searching for an answer. Jack looked away regrettably. Sam suspected he wasn't looking to share with Harry. She couldn't blame him.

"Hopefully there's still one place we can eventually land this ship," Mitchell said holding Vala to him and their two toddlers.

Jack met the younger man's gaze and nodded. Cassandra found her way into Daniel's arms and the couples stood staring at the continuing onslaught to Earth. As North America came into view, all eyes settled on Colorado. It wasn't pretty. Orange and red flares of light pulsed on the screen.

"What about the SGC?" Cameron asked worriedly.

"Don't know, sir. Besides if we're all here, the base is unmanned," said Silar.

"Jack?" Sam quietly asked.

"Huh?"

"Look at the Midwest states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and the Great Lakes and part of Canada." She grinned knowingly.

"There's no signs of destruction. It's like there's an invisible umbrella over that region," said Elizabeth Weir with a big smile of awareness.

"How come I feel like I'm missing something," Harry whined.

"Because you are." Daniel acknowledged with a smirk.

"Indeed." Teal'c nodded.

"This is fantastic!" Landry slapped Jack's back. "It means Plan D worked."

"Well, I said it would." McKay swaggered forward and smiled at Sam.

"_We _said it'd work." Sam reiterated, remembering the four-year sleep-depriving project.

"Let's hope it stays that way." George added less enthusiastically.

"What in blue balls are those?" Vala pointed at a fleet of advancing ships.

Sam looked at the dark haired woman. Figures the first words out of her mouth were well, very Vala.

Sheppard stepped forward and let out a breath of disgust. "Wraith. Lots and lots of hungry highbred Wraith. Did I mention they destroyed over half of the peaceful Wraith in the Pegasus Galaxy before we fled? And I doubt if they're willing to share the spoils of war with the Replicators. Or visa versa."

"So we've got two races of control freaks to deal with?" Daniel commented.

All heads turned to him.

"What?"

"You're the peacemaker, Daniel," Jack said. "So make peace."

"Um, sorry guys. I pass." Daniel waved his hand. "The last thing I negotiated for was a naquadah mine on PX0-551."

"Which we failed to get." Cameron reminded.

"Not my best day." Daniel grimaced. "But I refused to mate with a—"

"Horny flying monkey?" Jack shuddered with recall.

"See! See! You wouldn't mate with them either." Daniel jumped and pointed at Jack.

"No! No! I didn't mate with the monkeys, Daniel!"

Sam and Cassandra exchanged smirks.

"Gentleman!" George brought the two men back to the present crisis.

"Where's Condalisa Rice when you need her?" Jack mumbled and rolled his eyes at Daniel.

"She's our President." Sam elbowed him.

"I knew that. Like I said, where is she?"

"In an underground bunker last I spoke with her face-to-face." Landry piped in sadly. "I sure hope she realizes I didn't desert her or my country."

"I'm sure she does, Dad." Doctor Carolyn Lam squeezed through the crowd. Hank smiled relief as he hugged his daughter, who'd just made her way forward from the other end of the Asgard vessel.

Carolyn had no sooner embraced Hank than a Wraith Hive vessel released

Wraith Dart crafts at the Replicators mother ship.

'_Mom? Dad?'_ Grace's telepathic cry rang in her parent's heads.

"Jack!" Sam tugged his arm.

"Yeah I hear 'em." He closed his eyes and concentrated. _'Grace, it's dad. Where are you?'_

'_Don't know. A space ship with those creepy robotic creatures you called Replicators. They're everywhere! And some man called Fifth. He stuck his hand in my head, dad. It hurt a lot."'_

"That bastard!" Jack yelled for everyone's ears.

"Please?" Sam looked at Daniel and Cassandra who understood they were mind melding. "Fifth has Grace and JJ."

"Shit!" Daniel raged.

'_Daddy? Mommy?'_ JJ cried out. _'I'm scared.'_

'_Hang in there, kids.'_ Jack ordered.

'_Grace?'_ Sam spoke, _'It's important that you don't anger the Replicators, okay?'_

'_Yeah. We know,'_ Grace replied. _'They don't seem to notice us right now.' _

'_That's good,' _Jack said. He then spoke out loud to Sam, "They're too busy waging war. Which'll give us an advantage. We've got to board that mother ship now."

'_Hurry, Mom.' _Grace pleaded.

'_We will,' _Sam said back.

As the Wraith continued their onslaught of the Replicators, smaller Replicator vessels formed a circle of defense around their mother ship. The Replicator fleet vanished.

"No!" Sam yelled. "Where'd they go?" she couldn't believe she was asking what she already knew. Hyperspace!

"Walter, follow that Replicator fleet." Jack ordered.

"Sirs?" Walter looked to Landry, Mitchell and then Hammond.

"Jack?" George said calmly, "I understand the need to rescue your children, but our first duty must be to Earth."

"We know, George." Jack shut his eyes and blew out through his mouth. Sam reluctantly nodded and sniffed back tears.

"Good." The five-star general looked at the couple and smiled.

"What?" Jack asked in confusion and glanced at Sam.

She shrugged.

"Kids, just before Thor beamed me aboard I'd been reinstated by the President as head of the Chiefs of Staff. So because this is wartime and as the highest-ranking General here, I am reactivating and promoting you, General-General Jack O'Neill and you Colonel-Colonel as officers of the United States Air Force."

Sam grinned while Jack did the math. Yeah, George had just skipped over an entire rank. Jack's expression went from shock to military respect as George saluted Jack and Sam. Standing at attention, she and Jack smiled about their promotions and then sharply saluted the five-star General Hammond as well as the Mitchell and Landry. If there was resentment from the two generals none was shown.

However with this promotion there were no cat whistles or cheers. The mood was seriously dark. Silence followed as the packed bridge looked back at the monitor. Below them, the Wraith fleet had turned its attention to a defenseless Earth. Drones and Darts shot into Earth's atmosphere. Faces turned away from the bright colored screen. Sam knew the rest of the SGC crewmembers were observing from portholes on various decks. Human sobs of lose echoed throughout the Asgard vessel.

"Now what?" she asked Jack softly.

His face drawn with regret Jack looked at his wife and the other concerned generals, officers, enlisted men and women who became silent at Sam's simple but grave question.

Jack shut his eyes and called it like he saw it. "We are so screwed."

End of Chapter Four


	5. Chapter 5

**NEVER SAY NEVER **

Thanks to the readers I've heard from regarding Chapter 4 and this novella. Your encourgement inspires me to keep writing. I hope you stick with me on this fic because the future's going to be a bumpy ride for Sam and Jack! HailDorothy

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Jack and Sam along with the other officers stood in the ship's third hanger bay and stared in appreciation at the sole objects of that hanger. The Stargate, ramp, and control room's consol and computers had been transported onto the ship. Well, minus some wiring. Hammond delegated Cameron Mitchell in charge of all Gate issues. A smiling Mitchell then assigned Walter and his technicians to get everything in working order.

Although Walter accepted the challenging task Jack heard cussing from the otherwise mild-mannered Chief Sergeant's lips. Jack didn't blame him. What did one do with millions of wires yanked out from a concrete wall back on Earth? Interestingly, when Sam stated that once she had the ship running at maximum capacity she'd help Walter with the Gate, the little man grinned from ear to ear. It also helped that Thor had beamed up a D.H.D.

In retrospect it didn't take Hammond and his staff long to get the crew of the O'Neill III shipshape. George assigned each General an area of expertise and then told them to select officers and enlisted soldiers to carry out the duties that fell under their umbrella of responsibility.

Besides Hammond and Landry there wasn't one Chief of Staff onboard, or political leaders unless, Thor had transferred them to the other ships. With no open communication they'd no way knowing. Sheppard felt optimistic that Atlantis was safe beneath the Pacific Ocean and that Thor had transported some dignitaries there for safety.

He heard from General Hammond and Landry that President Rice had been offered the option to join them in the event such an attack ever occurred. She had declined on the basis that she would not desert her country or world.

Jack became George's 2IC and headed the tactical defense and offense units that included weaponry, the security of the O'Neill III and to Jack's surprise first strike leader. Despite the calamitous situation, he was a happy camper.

Landry remained head of Homeworld Security and worked side-by-side with Jack. Hank was the only person who knew Earth's lines of defense and what was hopefully still maintained.

Weir was the key diplomat who attempted to bring unity between the nine foreign military nationalities represented among the SGC teams and of course the Jaffa. Oh, the newest glitch had been that over a hundred Tok'ra were onboard and God help them all, so was the last of the systems lords, Baal. Jack wasn't thrilled about the newest development. The Tok'ra had all but cut their ties with Earth and the Jaffa. Baal was still Baal, but seemed quite accommodating to rid the galaxy of the Wraith and Replicators.

Apparently the Wraith had invaded his little planet and wrapped him in a cocoon for a midnight snack. Thor had beamed Baal off the mother hive ship. Why, Jack couldn't fathom.

Rumor had it that Baal had been rebuilding his fleet, but Thor hadn't transported the Goa'uld vessels. Baal assumed Thor ran out of time. Heck, Jack just wished he know why Thor rescued the snakeheads, especially Baal, minus his clones.

During their brief but memorable exchange, Jack made himself perfectly clear with Baal. "One, you stay clear of my family, that includes Carter. Two, you so much as fart and I'll fry you with a zat."

Baal snickered and walked away, but Jack noticed the handsome man's shoulders shook and not with laughter. Regarding the Tok'ra, Jack could not imagine how that'd fair with the Free Jaffa. Ten years after the fact and they were still at each other's throats with accusations of betrayal and distrust. Weir had her hands full.

In the interim, Brigadier General Jonathon Sheppard got jurisdiction over all aircraft and fighter squadrons. He was in his element.

The best surprise Jack and Sam got came when the Tok'ra beamed aboard and their son Charlie was one of them. Charlie had accepted Jacob's/Selmak's former position as liaison between the Tau'ri and Tok'ra. Sadly, the Tok'ra kept a tight rein on Charlie. They'd not seen him in over a year. Jack only got a father-son hug but that'd been sufficient for now. They planned to catch a meal together and that would include Sam. Charlie had been played a pivotal part in planning Safe Haven.

First thing Jack checked out was whether or not the Asgard vessel was comprised of Replicators blocks. It wasn't. He then discovered Thor had beamed up six additional dogs from the Army's Special Units Canine division and their trainers. Maybourne needed something to keep him occupied so with Hammond's blessings, Jack reinstated the self-made king to Colonel and put him in charge of 'sniff-out Replicator duty.' He'd expected an argument, but Harry gladly accepted the doggedly position. With seven wives or was it eight and twenty-plus kids, Jack determined Harry needed serious me-time. Now if Jack could just get him to take off that ridiculous crown.

Colonel Paul Emerson manned the helm and discovered Thor had been converting the ship's consol into that of the other Daedalus styled cruisers. No stones. Silar got the unfinished project. Jack was amazed Thor managed to lower his Asgard genius level to the stupidity of mere humans. There were more surprises. Thirty experienced Air Force pilots with space cruiser know-how were onboard, including Colonel Marks.

This made Jack ponder who was commanding the missing cruisers. Landry assured him that at least fifteen of the known missing pilots were probably aboard those ships. Or so he hoped. Added bennies included thirty-one F-302's, twenty-five Goa'uld death gliders and six puddle jumpers. Thor had been busy.

Much to everyone's surprise but not those who knew her, Vala volunteered to organize the family quarters and supplies. Marriage and motherhood had softened the former, bitch-queen Goa'uld hostess.

Jack's instant dislike of Vala started when Jack still managed the SGC. Vala had abducted then beat Daniel to a bloody pulp. Jack didn't meet the woman face to face for another two years. On their next encounter she hit on him.

Um, breaking into a visiting General's VIP's quarters and joining him in the shower did constitute as being hit on, right? Not to mention she'd grabbed his well, ya know, and then promised he'd see the stars after she'd finished with him. The point was, Sam still didn't know and with God as his witness, she never would. Jack had kicked Vala out of his shower threatening court-martial. Yes, she was a member of SG-1 by then. Vala pleaded temporary insanity due to lack of not getting laid in a year as her excuse.

When Jack asked why him, she blatantly said, "I've been hot for you since the first day we first met. General. Besides older men are more experienced and sensitive to a woman's needs. I know you're the reason Sam's always smiling, and figured she wouldn't mind sharing."

Jack figured he should be flattered. Not. That aside, he tried to like Vala. Really he did. Even ask Sam. Okay, so Sam liked everyone. Bad example. '_Hey, I at least deserve an E for 'Ever wanting to jam my fist down Vala's throat_.'

True, Vala had her redemptive moments —Just Jack couldn't recall them. Vala remained self-centered, greedy, unpredictable, and had a trucker's mouth. Jack called her the _drama queen_ under his breath, of course. No doubt the reason Cameron fell for her and Daniel had eventually ended what had been a wild roller-coaster affair for the meek-mannered linguist. They'd been a serious couple for years before Daniel tossed in the towel a month before their wedding. Daniel never volunteered the specifics. Jack never asked. But he surmised Cameron had been the pivotal reason. And there was Cassandra to consider. Jack would rather not.

Unlike most of the SGC Jack wasn't surprised when after a week of the breakup, Cameron started to court the little brunette alien. Within a month they were wed. Seven months later their first child was born. One didn't have to be a genius to do the math. Sam had broached the sensitive issue to Daniel who confirmed the child wasn't his. Whoops.

From the first he'd seen them together ten years prior Jack saw the attentive spark in Cameron's eyes toward Vala. But then, Daniel's spark was a lot brighter. Sam wondered if it was Vala or Cameron who'd started the affair while Vala and Daniel were engaged. Jack didn't care. He hated that his best buddy had gotten hurt. He maybe didn't like what Vala and Cameron had done to Daniel, but he had to work with them. So did Daniel.

Daniel proved a true diplomat because when Cameron and Vala asked him to be their first child's godparent, he accepted. Sam told Jack to let it go. Jack tried. He was just thickheaded when the people he loved got hurt. Daniel had moved on. Jack needed to let go. Letting go of his daughter, Cassandra, wasn't that easy.

Speaking of Daniel, he had been assigned to work with Elizabeth Weir and was last seen making peace between two Arab and Israeli officers whom Vala had unwisely housed together.

Over the PA General Hammond informed his crew they would not wait until the Wraith had finished harvesting before taking back Earth. However he asked for their cooperation, support, patience and prayer. Hammond's speech gave the crew incentive to stay positive.

The O'Neill III proved twice the size of the Daedalus styled cruisers with adequate living quarters. He hoped Sam and McKay knew how to keep the gigantic ship afloat because he was clueless. As he had suspected the ship was designed after the Ancient battle ship cruiser, _The Orin_, intended to carry a crew of two-thousand. Thor had factored in almost every scenario. Well almost, there was the lack of toilet and bathing facilities and most important, toilet paper. Vala figured every ten people had to share one head and shower.

Vala estimated that with conservative efforts there was enough food, water and provisions to last six months. Thankfully this time, Thor had transferred refrigeration and freezer units. Teal'c informed Jack there was a fair amount of Rocky Road ice cream. The big guy went from glum to happy when he discovered Thor had transported Raya'c his wife Kar'yn, their two sons and Bra'tac onboard, not to mention over two hundred Jaffa.

So far almost everyone who mattered to Jack was onboard. He tried not to think about his ex-wife Sara, her husband and stepchildren. Thor couldn't possible have known. Like he'd done in the past Jack shoved that concern into a box and shut the lid. For everyone's sake, he had to.

Besides the regular artillery of guns, rifles, tanks, etc., the world's military was in silent mode. And it would stay that way until General Hammond engaged the highly secretive code to communicate with the covert military units on Earth that were a part of Project Armageddon. That's if they still existed.

Sixteen hours since the invasion, fires flared over the planet's surface. Earth had been defeated. The Wraith harvested humans for happy meals. The thought killed Jack's appetite.

Eighteen hours had past since his children's abduction. And he'd barely glimpsed let alone spoken to Sam who oversaw everything that required techno babble. Pondering the location of said officer-scientist-wife, Jack nibbled a granola bar and forced his weary ass off a bridge chair and toward hanger three and the Stargate where an airwoman had last seen Sam assisting Walter.

"Jack?" asked Hammond now in blue BDU's. Although lacking insignias let alone gold stars, the uniform made him look more like _the man_.

"Sir?" Jack followed as George signaled him to the small office off of the bridge.

Hammond settled behind a desk void of paperwork. A laptop like so many other necessities Thor had beamed aboard now set on the desk.

"Shut the door, son."

Jack obeyed then turned back to his commander. He quietly watched as George pulled his thoughts together. Jack's heart ached for him. In apparent good health, George was closing in on eighty-years-old. He should be enjoying retirement. Instead he was leading Earth's last defense against two nasty-ass aliens.

"I know how difficult this is for you and Sam, er um, Colonel Carter, Jack. If those were my grandchildren or great-grandchildren I'd have hijacked an F-302 and been long gone by now."

"Yes, sir. I appreciate your concern, so does Sam. But we know there is more at risk."

"Don't be so damn chivalrous, Jack."

"I'm not. I'm realistic, sir. I also believe Fifth needs our kids to get whatever he wants or he'd have killed them by now."

"Then you believe they're alive."

"Yes. It's that Ancient thingy we've got." Jack touched his heart, then his head. "Kinda like radar. Even though we're not talking telepathically, Sam and I sense they're okay. But the Replicators are superior to the Wraith and it made no sense for Fifth to hightail it out of the galaxy. Fifth wanted us to follow him, sir."

"I deduced that much. But, Jack, you know we can't," George said firmly but regretably. "And I can't afford to let you go off on your own."

"Yes, sir. I'm just saying." He let out a weary breath and rubbed his aching lower back.

"Have seat, son, and report on our security status."

Feeling his age, Jack all but collapsed into the chair. "Thor's cloaking device continues to work. So far we haven't been tracked by Wraith. And hopefully the cloak on Earth is holding over Safe Haven."

"It's Ancient technology, Jack. I doubt the Replicators can break that combination."

"Let's hope not. But they've managed to transform into almost every known alloy known to man and aliens. And now they can replicate humans right down to sweat and bodily functions. Apparently they can't mimic animals. The dogs haven't detected Replicators. Although, they don't like Baal or the Tok'ra, well, Charlie being the exception. I suppose it's the snakes."

"Yes. I'd say Thor was on the situation long before Fifth took control of him. I wish we could have saved the little guy. He's been a trusted ally for a very long time."

"Yes." Jack nodded sadly. "Doctor Lam is utilizing the Asgard advanced medical bay to determine if there's any trace of Replicator in Thor's system. I doubt they'll find anything. Sam, er . . .um, Colonel Carter thinks it's a more sophisticated telepathy like Fifth and Replicator-Carter used on SG-1 twelve-years ago."

"I feared that." George drummed his fingers on the desktop. "He isn't by chance hiding in the ship's computer?"

"First thing Sam checked. But if Thor had transferred his consciousness to the ship, he'd have given Fifth a free ride. Thor was too smart to do that, sir."

George nodded. Silence past. Tire, but antsy, Jack toyed with a pen and tried to contact his kids for the umpteenth time since he and Sam had talked to them.

"Any idea what Thor meant what about Fifth doing something to Colonel Carter?"

"No. Despite our personal crap she seems fine, but then I haven't seen her all day."

"Perhaps he was referring to when Fifth abducted her the last time."

"We've considered that." Jack rubbed his temples. He had a lousy headache and had yet to shake it. "But that makes no sense. I ordered Sam to report to the Infirmary and have a complete physical and blood workup. I still haven't heard from Doctor Lam."

"Well, when you do, I want that report. In fact, I want every man, woman and child checked out ASAP."

"I'll see to it, General."

"George." He insisted. "When we're alone cut the protocol crap, Jack."

"Um, sure, George." He smiled the first time in hours.

"I'm too old for this shit, Jack. And that's why I selected you as my 2IC. I will rely on you more than ever. And if anything happens to me . . ."

"What?" Jack straightened in his seat.

George leaned back. "I'm dying, Jack. Found out four months back I've got cancer in my lungs, kidneys and liver. I've been undergoing chemo, but well, with this," he gestured around him. "I can't let word get out."

"Crap! I'm so sorry, George." Jack leaned forward in his chair and made eye contact with his friend, "But then why'd the President re-instate you?"

"I'm in remission. Despite the cancer she felt I was best qualified. I disagreed. I believe you should be sitting in this chair, Jack, not me. Eventually you will."

"Sir, all of this is not of my choosing. I retired remember. And I seriously don't want your job."

"I know and that's why you're going to do just fine when the time comes."

"If you say so." Jack scowled and arched his aching back. "And your family?"

"They know, but no one else does. Let's keep it that way. If I've an opportunity to die with dignity, that's how Ill go, Jack."

"Sure." Jack's mouth opened then shut. What else was there to say? "Wait. The Tok'ra could well, ya know, like with Jacob and Charlie."

"I'm not young like either of them were when they blended with the Tok'ra. Besides, I've had a good life and don't want to live forever, at least in this world." George shut his eyes and Jack watched him. The _man_ was exhausted and well, he was an _old man_, stuck with the weight of the world. Yet, Jack couldn't think of anyone else he'd rather answer to than General George Hammond.

"George, I don't suppose we could um, sneak in behind enemy territory, huh?"

The bald, reddish-gray-haired general opened his eyes and sat upright. The weariness left him and for the moment he looked younger to Jack. "Why we'd stick-out like a red Texas funnel cloud, son." George scoffed.

"Yeah, suppose so. It was just a thought." Jack stood and shoved his hands into his BDU's front pants pockets.

"Once we locate our other cruisers we can initiate Operation Safe Harbor, Jack."

"Really?" His headache eased.

"Yes and I want you to lead that mission."

"Sir, about that. As much as I appreciate your confidence, I'm out of shape and practice to lead a field mission. How about Reynolds or Mitchell?"

"You heard me, Jack. SG-1 will be the first team to set foot in Safe Haven and that's an order."

"Yes, sir." Jack stood and saluted.

Hammond returned the salute before his features drew taut with a different emotion. "Hard to believe that when Armageddon came we couldn't protect our own planet." The general's pale blue eyes misted.

Jack felt similar regret but had to stay focused. "Hey." He flourished his hand and said more optimistic than he felt, "Never say never, George."

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

After hunting for Carter and coming up empty, Jack threw in the towel. He knew why she was avoiding him and his pride suffered. Especially since everyone knew what she'd yet to tell him. She was pregnant and not just a little pregnant. The size of Jupiter as Vala had put it when she slapped Jack on the back. Dear God, he hoped not! Even Daniel had confirmed Sam's bloated look as she'd tried to duck out of his range of vision, but not before he saw her expanded stomach. Daniel called Jack ASAP and asked what was going on. Heck, if Jack knew. He was just married to the woman.

Before confronting her, Jack needed ten minutes to himself. With nearly two thousand crewmembers onboard the chance to be alone was almost nil. On the third deck, he got off an elevator and maneuvered between bodies toward the ship's chapel. Relieved to find it empty he sat in the front row pondering everything that had happened today. He'd just started to zone when the chapel's hatch swung ajar then shut. Crap!

"Jack?"

"Daniel." Jack didn't bother to open his eyes or look up. Daniel took a seat beside him and stayed respectful and quiet. Maybe he would figure out Jack didn't want to talk and leave. Several minutes past and neither said a word.

"I know you're not praying, Jack, so give it up."

"Fine." He opened his eyes. "What?"

"You talk to Sam yet?"

"No."

"You really should you know."

"I'm not avoiding myself, she is." Jack sniffed and rubbed his bristled jaw. He needed a shave.

"Huh?" Daniel looked at him confused.

"What do you want, Daniel?"

"Um, well, I think . . . we need um, should—"

"Daniel," Jack said tersely and glanced over.

"Talk." Daniel removed his glasses and fiddled with the bent bows.

"Ah." Jack nodded. "About?" He wouldn't make this easy for the linguist.

"Cassandra and myself. And well, the age thing of course." His voice cracked like a teenager's. Jack inwardly grinned.

"Of course." Wearing his CO expression, Jack straightened and turned to face the younger man, who was still too old for his daughter.

"We should have told you."

"Ya think?" Jack snorted, wishing they weren't in the chapel so he could pound the idiot's face. Then again violence would only get Jack bruised knuckles. "Yes, Daniel, you should have told me. Fercryin'outloud! What happened to asking the father of the bride?"

"I, um, Cass . . ."

"Do not blame Cassandra!" His voice lilted before he shot to his feet and stalked the chapel's center isle trying to calm down.

"I'm not. She wanted to tell you, but I knew you'd say no." Daniel's gaze followed Jack's pacing.

"Oh, you did huh? Why?" Jack halted and glared down at him.

Daniel stood to equalize the intimidation factor. Jack straightened to reinstate his taller stature. Daniel's face flushed with anger that still didn't match Jack's.

"Look at you, Jack, you're livid. That's how you react to everything I've ever done that didn't track with your black and white line of thinking."

"Do not."

"Do to."

"Not!"

"Do!"

"Enough!" Jack tossed his hands over his head. "The damage is done, Daniel. Did you ever think about your _honking_ age difference?"

"Yes and that's what I'm here to explain. It's not the _honking_ problem you think it is. I mean there's not as much of an age difference. Actually less than you and Sam's."

"Oh, really. I'm sorry. Last I counted there was twenty years between you and Cassandra. What ya going to do when your kids want to play ball and you're too old to swing a bat, Daniel? What happens when you leave my daughter a widow before she has grandchildren?"

"Not going to happen."

"Oh, ple-ase!"

"I lied, Jack."

"About?"

"My age."

"I'd know."

"No. That information went classified before I went on the first Abydos mission. I've lied since I was twelve in order to enter Harvard without being ridiculed. I had to come clean with Catherine Langford and she covered my butt with The Air Force so I could go with you through the gate."

"Twe-lve—Harvard?" Jack gasped.

"Yeah. I was a kid genius. Fortunately being tall I always looked older for my age."

"Says who?" Jack snorted with an eye roll.

"Because Nick had experienced the same thing as a child genius he helped me forge my birth certificate. I'd graduated with my doctorate by eighteen. Jack, when I accompanied you to Abydos I was just twenty-one."

"No! Really?" Jack gawked.

"Ask Hammond, he's always known."

"Crap!" Jack dropped into a chair and scrubbed his face with his hands. "Who else?"

"Um, Janet, Teal'c, Landry, eventually Cassandra, and . . ." Daniel sighed out.

"Sam?" Jack asked firmly.

"Yes. I made her swear not to tell you. And you know Sam, faithful to a fault."

"Yeah." Jack blew out his mouth. "I see."

"Do you, Jack? From the moment we met I admired your loyalty, tenacity and dry wit. You became the older brother I'd never had. I didn't need a father figure because Hammond filled that spot. Long as I was able to pass as your brother I felt we had a special bond. I was afraid that revealing my real age would change how you treated me and that you might even kick me off SG-1."

"You lied to me, Daniel." Jack felt like he'd been kicked in the gut.

"Yes, I did and I know that was wrong. I'm sorry. Please forgive me?"

"Daniel, I can't believe you thought our friendship and working relationship would be affected because you were—are young enough to be my son."

"Well, I did." Daniel shrugged his shoulders and adjusted his glasses. "What can I say, I was insecure. Still am, where you're concerned."

"Ah, crap!" Jack turned and pulled him into a man hug then slapped his upper back. "All this time I thought it was because you'd gone Ancient twice that you stayed so young."

"Well that probably helped, but no." Daniel hugged him back. They broke their physical contact with that shared look of masculine discomfort.

"Just for the record it wouldn't have changed how I feel for you, Daniel."

"No?" Daniel stared into Jack's sober gaze.

"Nah, I'd still think you were an naïve, idealistic, pain in the assets and way smarter than me."

Daniel snickered and smiled. "Good to know."

"So you and Vala?" Jack had to ask.

"She freaked. Apparently she's into older men."

"Tell me about it," Jack muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing." Jack waved a hand. "So her and Cameron?"

"Not much to tell. I knew they were seeing each other after I'd told her the truth about my age. But I'd been having seconds thoughts long before that happened. See I'd been nuts about an adorable alien named Cassandra since she'd entered college." Daniel glanced warily at Jack then cleared his throat.

"I'm listening," Jack said coolly.

"Odd how one day she was a little girl with big brown eyes and next she was this amazing, beautiful smart woman whom I had so much in common with, especially our backgrounds. I knew Cassandra had a crush on me but I never encourage her, Jack. To be honest I was scared shitless that you'd kill me if I acted on my feelings."

"I would."

"See!" Daniel stomped a foot and pointed at him.

"But not if I'd known the truth about your age." Jack zinged him.

"Oh." Daniel's fire went out.

"So explain all that flirtatious stuff and engagement to Vala?"

"It was a confusing time for me, Jack. SG-1 split up. You and Sam got married, got a life. You went off to D.C. Teal'c was spending more time with Ishta and the Jaffa. I felt lost. Maybe if _someone_ had let me go to Atlantis before Vala showed, she and I wouldn't have happened. Maybe, I'd have been with Cassandra a lot sooner."

"How come everything's my fault?" Jack whined.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "The point is, getting involved with Vala was my way to get Cassandra out of my system. You gotta understand I didn't realize I was _in love_ with her. Besides Vala wanted me. She just didn't love me. She'd been hung up on Cameron for a long time, but feared his rejection. Although she'd been having her way with me, the last thing she expected was my proposal. When she thought she couldn't have Cam she said, yes to marrying me. Sound familiar?"

"Da ja view!" Jack thought about Sam and Pete.

"Anyways, Cameron figured he didn't have anything to lose so he told Vala he loved her. The rest is history. They hooked up and forgot to tell the wouldbe-groom. When she told me she was pregnant with Cam's baby, I was happy for her--them."

"You didn't assume it was your child?"

"No. We, err . . . three months before our wedding Vala got scruples and didn't want to make love until our wedding night. I agreed. Actually I was relieved."

"Because that's when Cassandra got assigned as the new CMO of the SGC." Jack deduced.

"Yeah. We started eating meals together, hanging out. Two months in, she shared her breakup with boyfriend number four. How she had given up on love because the one man she loved didn't see her as a grown woman. She couldn't relate to anyone outside of the Stargate program, let alone who couldn't know the truth about her conception or you and Sam. She was tired of lying for the sake of a personal relationship—"

"Time out! No details!" Jack put his hands to his ears. "So you told Cassandra how you felt yada, yada?"

"Yeah, we came clean about our feelings and never looked back."

"We're talking years here, Daniel." Jack dropped his hands and glared.

"Yes." He winced and looked away. "Years."

Jack tried to wrap his head around everything Daniel had shared. "So you and my daughter have been shaking up?" He glared.

"No! Never! She insisted we wait until marriage. Not an easy thing to agree on, but I did. I love Cassandra, Jack. Madly--passionately to the point that sometimes I can't believe what I have with her is real. After Shari, I never thought I'd feel this way again. It's like I've been given a second chance at love. Believe it or not, it's even better than what I had with Shari, maybe because I'm older and wiser. Geez, I don't know. But I know I've gone about this all wrong with you and Sam. Sam gave us her blessing. As Cassandra's father I want your blessing, Jack. So does Cass."

Jack lifted his aching head and rubbed the kink in his neck. "I'm no fool, Daniel, I can see how happy you make my little girl. I saw it a lot sooner than you did."

"Um, what?" Daniel windmilled his hands, his brows shifting into his hairline.

"Even before Janet died, whenever Sam or I couldn't be there for her, you were. Unless you're blind, she's had a crush on you since she first came to Earth. I figured it was just a juvenile infatuation. That she'd get over you. She didn't. So far Oma's predication panned out."

"Oma?"

"Oh, yeah. You're not the only one who had a few sessions in the clouds with her."

Daniel donned that blank look that Jack loved inducing.

"See there's something I never put in the report when I went Ancient that first time. I got a visit from Oma. Didn't realize she was an Ancient of course, but I figured things out when we saw her on Kheb. She talked to me."

"Um, I don't remember that, Jack."

"Well she did. In my head ya know."

"Oh."

"The point is she reminded me of our first encounter."

"Did she say anything about Cassandra?"

"No, Daniel, she didn't. She just told me the Harcy child would be safe."

"Harcesis."

"Whatever. Will you let me tell my story?"

"Um, sure."

"Oma said to take care of you and not to hurt Sam." Jack flinched. "Wished she'd reminded me about Sam when I was stuck on Edora. Anyway backtrack to being an Ancient. While I worked on freeing Sam, Teal'c, and the others from becoming roasted marshmallows, this hot lady in a white cloud appeared. She didn't speak in words but inside my head. She said Sam and I were each other's Chosen Hearts."

"Wow! That's exactly what she told me about you guys." Daniel interrupted.

Jack glared.

"Sorry. Continue."

"Thank you. And that you and Cassandra were each other's as well. That as couples we'd all take different paths before coming together, but that I needed to trust 'The Keeper of the Stars.' Furthermore, when the time came I should not interfere in either your or Cassandra's personal lives. That you'd both find your way to each other."

"And?"

"She went poof!" Jack snapped his fingers. "Just like an angel."

"Well she is you know."

"Yeah." Jack gestured with interest. "How's that angel and giants hypothesis working out for you?"

Daniel shrugged and rubbed his jaw. "Great in the theologian circles especially regarding the Ori, but the science community isn't buying into it so easily."

"A shame."

"Yeah." Both men looked reflective.

"I believe you." Jack raised his pointer finger for emphasis.

"Um, thanks, Jack. You were saying?"

"Oh, I thought I'd gone off the deep end. Compartmentalized that delusion and got back to saving Carter's cute ass. I haven't thought about it for years."

"Her ass?"

Jack's eyes narrowed.

"Sorry. I meant what Oma said." His cheeks colored.

"Yeah, so it crossed my mind occasionally, like every time Cassandra found an excuse to spend time with you."

"Ah." Daniel shifted his booted feet. "Now what?" He stole a nervous glance at Jack.

"We move on." Jack stuffed his hands into his pockets and shrugged.

"Um, Jack, about the blessing?"

"You've always had it. I just needed to hear you ask."

"Thanks." Daniel's blue eyes lit up with relief.

"Think nothing of it, bro." They looked at each other with a mutual affection that spanned over twenty-years. Someone opened the hatch door and entered the chapel. "Let's go." Jack motioned to Daniel.

They exited the chapel and Jack asked, "Hey, you aren't going to call me, Dad, are ya?"

"Do you want me to?" Daniel asked a bit too eagerly.

"Naw." Jack cringed. "Maybe when I'm like in my eighties."

"Sure, Jack." Daniel smiled.

"Oh, Daniel, about that birth certificate." Jack raised his right hand.

"What about it?"

"When we get back to Earth I want the real Daniel Jackson's certification of birth on my desk ASAP." With that Jack strode in the opposite direction humming off key.

"Asshole," Daniel said with a smirk, knowing that no matter the fate of the world or the galaxy he and Jack were bro's.

End of Chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

**Never Say Never **

**Chapter 6**

Sam had managed to avoid Cassandra, Doctor Carolyn Lam and most of all, Jack. That alone had been an exhausting stealth process. But with around two-thousand people occupying the ship, she managed. Besides, Jack was busy working out a strategy to enter the force-field umbrella without being detected. Sam should have been part of that priority project, but had convinced Hammond that McKay and his sister Jeannie were best for the job. She got no argument from Rodney.

Jack routinely spoke to Sam via her communication transmitter and she did the same. But whenever he attempted telepathy she blocked him, stating she couldn't head chat and do her job at the same time. For now Jack stayed out of her head, but she couldn't keep him away forever, especially physically.

Doctor Lam and Cassandra only glimpsed Sam's hasty passing-bys, of which she made sure to wave or smile. Each time she was informed to report to the infirmary Sam replied as soon as she had finished her next job. The larger BDU over-shirt was a dead giveaway of her condition. Not to mention the congratulations she got from folks she'd not seen in months, or worse the stranger looks she received from those she saw regularly. The pregnancy glow and double chin didn't help. She let down her shoulder length hair with hopes to conceal the obvious. Samantha Carter-O'Neill was pregnant.

While rerouting the crystal energy source then helping Walter with the Gate, Sam had to upsize her uniform twice. Her fast stretching tummy smarted and itched. Not to mention she ate and drank like two Teal'cs. She didn't want to think about how much weight she'd gained and was constantly exhausted. She caught a few catnaps, but they didn't help much. However, Sam's greatest fear had come true and it wasn't being pregnant.

Fifth was back! Sam had no control over his visitations. The first time, she was on her hands and knees between two engine compartments. One moment she was holding a green crystal and the next she was standing in a vast, dark void beneath a blue spotlight with Fifth facing her.

"It is good to see you, Samantha."

"Stuff it, Fifth. Where are my kids?" She took a threatening step forward.

"It is true what they say about the human maternal instinct. I always sensed yours would be unusually high, even for an Ancient. I was right."

"So help if you don't tell me, I'll-." She lunged for him, but since he wasn't physically present, she batted air.

Fifth chuckled. "Calm down, lover. They are safe. Although their whining grates my nerves."

"They're innocent children, Fifth, scared to death!"

"Ah, yes, death. It's inevitable even for Ancients, even for General O'Neill."

His attempt to misdirect her failed. "What must I do to get them back?"

"You always did get right to the matter."

She glared.

"It's quite simple, dearest Samantha." He stepped closer. "It's you I want."

"And you'll let them go?"

"Yes."

"What about Earth?"

"Earth will be consumed."

"By you or the Wraith?"

"The Wraith are but pesky fleas. We'll eliminate them. For now I want them to believe they are conquerors. And one more thing, Samantha."

"What?"

"If you tell O'Neill or anyone of our conversation, I'll not only kill your children, but everyone on your ship. See, I'm in your head and I know everything you think, say or do. I also know you are telepathically linked to O'Neill. You can no longer escape your destiny, Samantha. That destiny includes loving me, not Jack O'Neill."

"It will be cold day in Netu before that happens!"

"Perhaps, but then I've an eternity to make you love me."

"You can't force someone to love you, Fifth."

"That is where you're wrong." He transformed into Jack before her eyes. "I'll be with you always, Sam." He sounded like her husband.

With that, Fifth left her brain. Since then he'd popped in twice in the form of Jack. Sometimes it became hard to differentiate whom she was talking to. If Fifth could do that in her head what stopped him from impersonating someone in real life?

On his last intrusion Fifth told with Jack's voice, facial expressions and hand gestures the horrible things he'd do to their children if she didn't come to him. Fifth explained how he'd expedited her pregnancy and that within a few hours she'd give birth. He reminded her that the life of her unborn twins depended on her cooperation. Sam made up her mind as to the outcome of that bargain. And in order to see it through completion, she had to avoid Jack at all costs.

Spotting Cassandra Sam slipped into a vacant head. Shaking, she pulled herself to the sink and splashed water over her face, then looked at her pale complexion. She'd not vomited in hours because she'd entered her second trimester. Being an Ancient she knew that meant she'd deliver soon. Sam was amazed she'd made it this long without Jack knowing. The fact neither knew during this conception as they had with Grace and JJ was a blessing and a curse.

So much for the snip, snip and double knot on Jack's end. Worse, she'd less than a few hours before she'd give birth. She hoped she could endure the physical strain that normally took nine months for the average woman's body to prepare for. Exhausted beyond words, Sam just wanted to sleep.

In the beginning her pregnancy with Grace had appeared the normal nine months gestation. Well far as everyone else was concerned. By her fifth month, they knew something was wrong and Sam stopped off world activities. The SGC genetics specialists were dumbfounded that Sam was full-term. Needless to say, that would have started the SGC grapevine humming. Jack had been in secretive contact with Loki and arranged to meet him on another planet with a non-the-wiser Sam in tow. That experience had been another memorable event. Let's just say Jack learned keeping secrets was not in the best interest of their marriage.

Quarreling aside they discovered their unborn daughter had developed in two-thirds the gestation time of a normal human baby. That weekend they ended up at the cabin and Sam went into labor. Five hours later, Jack delivered their healthy baby girl, all seven pounds two ounces. They had no doubt what they'd call their gift from God, Grace.

Eighteen months later, Jonathon Jacob was born at five months gestation. Physically, Sam was in her third trimester. Thank heavens she had good muscle and skin tone. JJ weighed in at eight pounds ten ounces, breech! That's when Jack got the snip job. Each time they had to cover up Sam's short-term pregnancies. Now what?

Loki had concluded she'd gone totally Ancient with regard to bearing children, but believed her gestation period would hold at the five to six month period. Sam decided Loki was full of crap. No one knew the true gestation of full-blown Ancients and the original nine-month period had been scrapped with Grace and JJ. If Sam were honest she'd known that something really strange had happened with Cassandra because Sam had never been conscious of that pregnancy nor had she any strange reports of her missing from earth during the time of her abductions. The point was they were short time spans, days at the most.

Whatever Nirrti had done to Sam Fifth had perfected or defected. She prayed the twins were healthy and not freaks of Fifth's intrusion. Sam traced her fingers along her belly feeling the round protruding knob by her bellybutton. She'd looked around six month now and the little rascals were active. Twins. In the immortal words of Jack O'Neill, "Who'd a thunk?" Worse, she'd not even missed her last period. She was afraid for her unborn children and very afraid for Jack and the other kids. Afraid for the survivors of Earth whose sole existence rested on Sam.

"Mom?" Cassie tapped on the unisex restroom door.

"Be right out, hon."

"You were to have reported to the infirmary hours ago. Lam's about to send SFs after you."

"I know." Sam pulled herself together but her legs trembled. Her body was stronger than most but this pregnancy would drain her dry and the extra stress of Grace and JJ's abductions had taken their toll. "Please God, no matter what happens to me, take care of my husband and children. All of them?" She kissed her hand then pressed it to her belly and opened the door.

Cassie frowned at Sam, stepped inside and gently directed her onto the toilet seat. "Mom, I know this is hard on you, it is for all of us, but you've got to have that physical—" She reached out with her thoughts.

'_Oh crap!'_ Cassie blurted in Sam's head. '_Does Dad know?'_

"No and you're not telling him." Sam refused to mind-merge with her eldest daughter, nor let her know about Fifth. Too much at risk.

'_Good decision,'_ Fifth said in her head.

"Soon as he touched you he should have sensed like with Grace and JJ." Cassie lowered her hand to Sam's belly, closed her eyes and concentrated. "Holy Hannah — Twins!"

"They're growing too fast, Cass." Sam sighed out with a quiver.

"Ya think? Man, when? I mean?" Cassie blushed like any other daughter who didn't want to think about her parents having sex.

"I think yesterday or maybe this morning." Sam wrung her hands. "And that's why I'm scared."

"Wow! That's impossible! Me, Grace and JJ I understand, but the conception and now this." She placed a physician's hand to her mother's extended abdomen and examined her.

"Freaky, I know." Sam shuddered. "I feel like Signori Weaver in Alien."

"I believe the babies are human, Mom."

"How do we know?" Sam searched her mind for an answer. "I never got sick this fast, never felt any of you kids moving within hours of conception. This is all wrong, Cass."

"I know. But maybe with each pregnancy you . . .um evolve. I read the report from Argos when dad rapidly aged and that couple gave birth in less than a day."

"Cass, they were infected with nanocytes."

"I know. We think that the Ancients were the first race to create nanocytes and the nanocytes might have eventually become part of the normal Ancient DNA."

"I don't have nanocytes, Cass." Sam insisted. "That was one of the first things I got tested for with Grace."

"But, Mom, what if the nanocytes appeared naturally and then went dormant, undetectable after you gave birth."

"Fine. Check that off your list of possibilities. Take some blood now. I can't risk being seen by your father until--"

"Until when?" Cassandra opened her medical bag and removed a syringe then carefully drew a vile of blood from Sam and pocketed it. "I'll get the lab on this ASAP." She snapped a band-aid over the needle mark on Sam's forearm.

"As long a I can. You know dad. He'll turn into a mother hen. If the crew saw that softer side of him, they might . . ."

"Lose respect?"

"No, it's just that," Sam nibbled her lower lip. "I don't think this is a case of nanocytes. There'd be traces of their existence. Like they'd leave a trail of bread crumbs for the birds."

Cass gawked at her astrophysicist mom's less than scientific analogy.

"Sorry, too many years of explaining physics to your dad. It all started with an apple." Sam grinned at the fond memory.

"Huh?"

"Forget it." Sam hugged herself and turned serious. "So you were saying?"

"Mom, what affects you affects me. If I can figure out why the Ancient DNA has speeded up your gestation cycle. I mean when Daniel and I want to—,"

"Yes?" Sam smiled softly. "Don't worry, Hon, you have my blessing, it's Dad's you have to gain."

"Yeah, tell me about it. I admit I'm grateful we have a crisis or Dad would have nailed Daniel with his deadly left hook by now."

"Give him time. And I strongly suggest you and Daniel come clean, not only about the secretive courtship and marriage, but about Daniel's oldest secret, no pun intended."

"Mom, why didn't you ever tell dad about Daniel?"

"Because when I found out I promised Daniel I wouldn't tell anyone, especially Jack. Daniel wanted Jack's respect and feared if he knew the truth, Jack would kick off SG-1."

"But Uncle George knew."

"Yes, well I assume General Hammond had his own reasons for not telling Jack, just like he never told us about our time-travel mission to 1969 until after it happened."

"I suppose."

"For the life of me I don't know why he didn't tell Jack twenty years ago. It'd be saving us an additional headache."

"I'm sorry, Mom." She dropped her gaze. "When it comes to his relationship with dad, well, Daniel thinks of dad as his big brother, not a father figure. He believes everything would have changed if the truth came out back then. Now after all this time, he feels pretty foolish confessing to dad that he forged his birth certificate."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Well the sooner he does it, the better it'll be. I know Jack and he'll get over it--eventually."

"Mom, Daniel's been lying about his age ever since he entered Harvard. He wanted to be accepted then, just as he does now."

"I know." Sam arched her aching back and yawned. "But it doesn't matter academically or where he is in his life now."

"I agree." Cassandra looked reflectively. "We want dad's blessing, Mom."

"Well, it'd have been nice to be invited."

"I know. We went before a judge. We intended to tell you guys then plan a church wedding. Your wedding was so beautiful."

"Which one?" Sam smirked.

"Oh, yeah, forgot. Guess three's a charm, huh?" The women held each other's smiling gazes.

The twins kicked and Sam came abruptly to her feet, holding her stomach. Her BDU's had grown tighter. She loosened her belt and yanked the black t-shirt outside of her pants.

Cassandra's gaze dipped to her mom's actions. "Your iron level has to be rock bottom, Mom, you need to rest."

"I will. I've been eating protein bars all day. You can't tell anyone not Carolyn or Daniel. Just believe me when I say we'll get the kids back. And although it'll be hard, I'm going to block Jack as long as possible."

"No piece of cake."

"Tell me about."

"Ya'd think he has a sixth sense or something." Cassie giggled.

"You are your father's daughter." Sam sighed her exasperation. "And Heaven help us, Grace is no different."

"Ya think." She grinned, hugged Sam then turned serious. "If Dad finds out he wouldn't let you on SG-1 or go after JJ and Grace."

"Like he could stop me!" Sam shoved to her feet and smoothed down her uniform. "Besides I don't think that'll be necessary."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "No wonder it took you guys a decade to get it on, well, besides conceiving me and Chuck of course. You're the most stubborn people I've ever known."

"Look in the mirror lately, Captain O'Neill."

"Quite changing the subject, Colonel, Ma'am."

"Okay, I concede that I respect and honor him and most often his decisions are right on. It's that 2IC mindset, I guess. But this time it's our family we're out to rescue." Sam gazed into the deep brown eyes of her oldest daughter. Physically Cassie was like Jack with her honey brown hair and that small vertical dent between her brows and the tiny cleft in her chin. Still she had Sam's mouth and nose, a dusting of freckles and mannerism. But she possessed Jack's verbal mouth especially cracking bad jokes and clichés, not to mention the mulish streak.

"Colonel, Captain!" Jack barked in his CO voice from the other side of the door. "We've got an emergency briefing going on! Think you could join us? Now!"

Sam drew an unsteady breath and flipped-off her '_merge'_ button with Jack.

"Oh!" she grimaced.

"What?"

"He's not happy a happy camper."

"So ya gonna be able to handle him?" Cassie winced, knowing her dad's short fuse.

"Been doing that for over twenty years." Sam realized the moment she opened the door Jack would spot her belly. No doubt he'd heard it through the grapevine or even determined her condition earlier. He was too Ancient for his own good. Sam resolved to stay strong.

'_Carter!'_

She straightened and shook her head at Jack's mental badgering. "Let's go." She opened the door to find him leaning against the opposite corridor wall, arms akimbo, glaring at her, but thankfully not at Cassie.

"General." Cassie saluted.

"Captain." Jack straightened into his military mode, then frowned at Sam.

"Um, I'll met you both upfront, Sir, Ma'am." She gestured with her thumb. "I spoke with Charlie, we're all to meet in the mess at 1800."

Jack nodded blindly. Sam did likewise.

Cassie glanced between her parents and gulped, hoping her mom could handle dad until her siblings were rescued. Knowing Jack O'Neill that so wasn't going to happen. Nope. Nada chance in Netu.

JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ

Jack was tired, cranky and royally pissed. Carter had avoided him steadily and stealthy for hours, especially telepathically. He'd never hit such a solid wall of resistance from her since they'd acquired their gift. If he didn't know better she had help. He'd suspected Cassandra but when Jack tapped into her head, he got a lot of confusion toward Sam. Nope, not Cass. Something was rotten in Denmark and it wasn't cheese. His gut suspected the worst-case scenario. Fifth. Maybe that's what Thor had meant about regretting what Fifth had done to Sam. Dear God in heaven, had Thor taken over her body? There was one way to find out, lie like a mother—well, ya know.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

"General Hammond has reinstated our posts with SG-1," he said in his intimidating CO voice.

"He what?" She gaped.

"You heard. The only difference is that I'll lead. You'll follow."

"I always do," she muttered beneath her breath.

Jack stared sharply at her. "Got a problem with the chain of command, Colonel?"

He could be such a jackass. Wait! Was he purposely pushing her buttons? She felt his internal prod and she silently screamed back. _"Stay out!"_ Because she feared Fifth would hear.

"Something ya _don't_ wanna tell me, Colonel?" Jack took two steps forward and eyed up his wife. When she felt his gaze linger on her rounder face she unconsciously arranged the blonde strands to mask the obvious.

"No. Not really." She forced a watery smile and motioned to follow after Cassandra. Jack's strong hands latched onto her shoulders and he gently but firmly steered her back into the head, then shut the door. The head wasn't meant to hold two people. Jack was literally in her face.

"Jack, we're wasting valuable time and—."

"We're about to enter Phase Two of OA." He was all military. "Thor transported the Daedalus, Nautilus, and Prometheus II into Saturn's rings. They've just joined us with full crews. Each ship is functional with fighters, F-302's, and caring a shit load of Marines and Army infantry, that includes land vehicles and cloaked, armored tanks."

Sam's eyes widened as Jack rattled off the mission. _Dear God, if Fifth picks this up!_

"McKay has setup three separate entry coordinates for Safe Harbor. He will transmit the codes for each ship. They will enter together and hopefully make it without being captured or destroyed by the Wraith. The O'Neill will stay behind. I'll lead the mission to Safe Haven aboard the Daedalus."

"Okay, I'll get ready." She attempted to get past him without her extended tummy making contact with his six-pack.

"You're staying here, Carter."

"Excuse me, sir?" She felt his sable-brown eyes access her, his strong Ancient touch breaking through her equally willful wall. At the same time, she sensed rather than saw Jack had lied about the mission. _Why? What did he know? Good. She had to act and feel convinced he'd told the truth._

"That's an order." His fingers left her shoulderblades and began a slow seductive but designed trail down her arms then across her fuller breasts, that had yet to stop aching. She forced the wall higher in her mind, but her body betrayed her. Only a blind man wouldn't notice the extra weight and where it had settled.

"Jack, this not the time to be making out," she hissed as his hand gently trailed across her sensitive nipples and then through the loose BDU shirt cupped her breasts.

His half smile flat-lined. "Our kids are missing, Sam," he said with a tone of insult and injury, "Making out is the last thing on my mind."

She winced. "I know, I just thought." She shut her eyes as tears threatened. She would not cry. Jack hated when she cried, coz it made him feel helpless. "Why can't I accompany you?" She gazed up at him.

His dark brows arched into his silver hairline. "Well there's this rumor onboard that you, Colonel Carter-O'Neill are with child. That'd be a miracle, right? But I have to admit you've put some pounds." His right hand skimmed then halted on her firm rounded belly. The twins kicked. She heard Jack's breath hitch, saw his eyes dilate. Dang!

He didn't yell or give his _oh duh_ look, instead he pulled her into his arms and nuzzled that curve of her neck, that was exclusively his, "I'm sorry, Sam. So fricking sorry!"

Sam clung to him and wept. She didn't know if she was happy or sad or a mixture of both. She didn't want him to feel guilty or sorry. "Please, Jack," she eased away and swiped her tears. "It's not your fault."

Now she got the _'duh'_ look. "No I mean, yes it is! And if you even think differently I'll never talk to you again!"

"Oh! Well that's a relief and no I didn't mean um, well I sort of . . . Geez, do you think we can sue the surgeon?" He rubbed his jaw then talked with his hands.

"I think it's that Ancient O'Neill DNA. Remember Loki insisted you get checked on a regular basis to be sure the vasectomy hadn't reversed itself. The Ancients DNA is strongly geared toward procreation and we went against that biological timeline. I should be able to have babies into my seventies."

"Yeah, guess we did, but you're not a baby factory, Sam, and with the pregnancies getting shorter and shorter it was too dangerous."

"I know, but I survived each time and I will this one too. We're going to have twins, Jack."

"What? Twins?"

"Yes." She smiled bravely.

"Crap! It's not even been twenty-four hours, Sam. You're big as—,"

Arms folded to her breasts, she delivered a cold glint.

"I mean," he cleared his throat. "This isn't natural even for an Ancient."

Sam wanted to scream he was right, but didn't. She touched his tensed whiskered jaw. "You need a shave."

"Sam?" his tone turned intimate.

She dropped her hand. "So when'd you know?"

"Oh, well, I didn't get to merge with your womb, but I suspected in the shower this morning before Thor dropped in." He ran a finger across his sensitive breasts, getting a rise out of her. "Um, they were already fuller."

"They were?"

"Hey, guys notice stuff like that. I love your tits, especially when you're pregnant and nursing."

"You sure do." She grinned, enjoying the temporary calm before the storm.

His brows did their sexy caterpillar dance across his brow and he leaned in for a kiss. Sam pulled away and crossed her arms. "You're not going to distract me, General. I'm going with you."

"Carter." He straightened to his intimidating height.

"Sir."

"You're not leaving this ship!"

"Like hell, I am!"

"That's an order, Colonel!"

"Screw you, sir." She gave him the finger.

"Already did!" He tossed back.

They stared each other down and Sam took the opportunity to escape the head. Jack followed as she stepped through a hatch into another corridor.

"Don't walk away from me, Colonel!"

"Don't treat me like a child, General!"

An airman approached them guardedly. "General, Colonel? General Hammond wants to speak with you both on the bridge."

"We'll be right there," Sam spoke for both of them.

"This isn't over, Carter." Jack growled in her ear as they turned to follow the airman.

"Whatever!" She shot back and knew he was scrunching his face, "Man, oh man, you'd think you were my husband or something—"

Jack stuck his fingers in his ears and started humming. Loudly!

Pain shot through Sam's lower back. No! Not yet. Labor pains. "Jack, I --," And all went black.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

**Ship's Medical Bay: private delivery room**

With Daniel and Teal'c at his side Jack watched while Doctor Lam and Cassandra worked on Sam.

"She's unconscious and fully dilated," Lam said to Cassandra. "She's lost a lot of fluids. BP's dropping, so are the fetuses. We've got to deliver them ASAP. No time for an epidural drip."

"For God's sake, do something!" Jack shouted trying to get to Sam. Daniel and Teal'c held him back.

"Dad," Cassandra said over her shoulder. "We're going to do an emergency C-section. I want you to try and mind-merge with mom. Tell her to direct more blood flow and oxygen to the babies."

"Okay, but I have to touch her." Jack broke through the wall of nurses to the delivery table, where Sam lied being prepped for surgery.

"Doctor O'Neill?" Doctor Lam blocked Jack and glanced at Cassandra for explanation.

"Please let him through. Trust my judgment, Doctor Lam."

"But?" Lam hesitated as a nurse scrubbed Sam's stomach.

"Doctor Lam, I'm an Ancient." Jack smiled slightly. "So's Sam. I delivered Grace and JJ and must mind-merge with Sam. It's the only way I can insure she and our babies will survive."

"Wow! That's not in either of your medical records." Carolyn exclaimed.

"Nope." Daniel explained. "There's a lot left out of those records. Now if everyone can give the General some room and silence."

"Thanks, Daniel." Jack acknowledged, and then said to Cassandra, "If all goes well, you won't have to perform the surgery. Just give me a few and prepare for a vaginal delivery."

"One minute's all we can spare." Lam explained.

"For an Ancient that's hours." Jack leaned over Sam's pale features. He placed one hand on her forehead, the other hand on her bare stomach. He shut his eyes and went to his happy place with Sam. He was surprised how they immediately melded. Something was wrong though. They weren't alone.

'_Sam?'_

'_Jack? I'm so tired-afraid. Our babies!'_

"_Sam, focus on the task not fear of the task." _

'_Okay.' _

"The patient's BP has returned to normal," a nurse said. "But the fetuses are still unstable."

"_Jack, you must deliver them safely.'_

'_I'm trying, babe. Now concentrate. They need more oxygen. Can you do that?' _

'_Yes, I think . . .so.' _

Moment's past. Jack tried to comprehend just where he was in Sam's head. Normally it was very organized but this was dark and cluttered. He sensed they weren't alone. He tried to see her face, but got nothing. Jack jolted as he felt intense rage and hatred directed toward him.

'_Sam?'_

'_You wish! She is fighting to save her unborn children, your children. If you want her to succeed you will cooperate.'_

'_Fifth?' _Jack went into defense mode, trying to block the alien. In the background, he was aware of conversations.

"She's still stable. Sam, can you hear me?" Doctor Lam asked.

"Ye-es," she answered weakly.

"The twins are breech. This will hurt, but I have to turn them."

"Do it," Sam said. "Jack, what are you doing?"

Jack couldn't answer.

Face to face with Fifth Jack was locked into a mental battle.

'There is nothing you can do to stop us,' Fifth said with a mocking voice. 'If you want your unborn brats and the two that I have returned safely, you'll not interfere. Understood?'

'What do you want?'

'I swear you are as dense as a tree, O'Neill. What I've wanted since the first time I merged with Captain Samantha Carter and fell in love with her. She has finally agreed to my terms.'

'_Terms! What the hell you talking about?" _

"That's it, Mom, keep pushing."

Jack heard Sam's pants and painful sobs. He felt her push one of the twins out of her womb, then heard her calling him inside his head and externally. He couldn't respond. Everyone thought he was helping but he was imprisoned inside Sam's mind by Fifth.

'How's it feel, O'Neill, unable to move, speak, frozen in time and space? Surrounded by family, by the woman you love, yet untouchable. That's the agony I suffered for years.'

'Like I give a rip! Sam loves me you heap of missing auto parts. And I love her. Nothing you ever do will ever weaken the bond we have with each other. Never.'

'Never say never,' Fifth mimicked Jack.

A baby wailed. Jack's child. Their son. He struggled against Fifth's invisible chains, felt the tethers loosen enough to give him hope.

"He's a boy, Mom, Dad!" Cassandra announced and then, "Okay, Mom, one more time. The second baby's crowning! Push!"

Jack grew stronger. _'I'm so outa here.'_ He snickered as he turned and walked away from Fifth. Love did conquer all.

'_No!'_

'_Later, metal head!' _

Jack released Sam's forehead and stared at her perspiration-drenched pale face. Her eyes were closed but she was smiling. "I'm here, babe." Jack reassured with a gentle hand squeeze. Sam squeezed back.

"Dad, you alright?" Cassandra asked with a worried expression.

Nodding, Jack got his bearings and spotted Daniel and Teal'c's concerned looks. "I'm back." He stretched out his arms, winked at his friends then returned to Sam as Doctor Lam delivered their last twin. This was the first time he wasn't on the receiving end of their children's deliveries. But considering the odd situation, he'd deal.

A nurse gave him his son and Jack smiled down at the small bluish bundle that was almost bald save for some fine blonde hair. "We've a son, Samantha."

Exhausted, but happy Sam smiled up at him. "Bond with him, Jack."

"Sure." He grinned.

He kissed the boy's cheek and felt the transfer of Ancient DNA growing between father and son. Purely instinctive, it was a strong tingling sensation that spiraled up and down his spine. Jack knew what he must do. He kissed his son on the mouth and breathed into him.

"What the?" Lam asked in shock.

"It's Ancient bonding," Daniel explained as he stepped forward. "He and Sam will exchange breath with both infants."

"But Sam's already exchanged air while the babies were in her womb."

"True, but this physical interaction strengthens that established bond. Don't worry this is the only time such intimate contact takes place between father and child. Without the initial bond, well," Daniel scrubbed his jaw. "It's complicated." He winced.

Jack lowered the baby boy into Sam's arms. "You're turn, hon." She nodded and stared at her son, speaking softly to him.

"He looks like you, Hon." Jack pointed at the sprigs of blond hair.

"Dad?" Cassandra handed over her baby sister. "She's just as healthy as he is."

"Excellent." Jack tried to forget the fear that gnawed his gut. Why did he feel the other shoe had yet to drop? Holding his daughter, he smiled into her beautiful face. Just like her brother, she was fair complexioned and blonde. "You're beautiful, princess."

"Jack?" Sam asked urgently.

"Here." He gently gave their daughter over then brushed Sam's hair from her face as she held both babies.

"You did good, Colonel." Jack smiled down at her and swiped tears from his eyes.

"Thank you, sir." Sam's eyes misted.

"Hey, we're going to be okay."

"I—I know you are. All of you."

"Sam, whatcha talking about."

"You know. Fifth told you. I have no choice." She kissed each of the whimpering infants. "Take them now." She insisted shoving them into his arms.

"Huh?" Jack tried to wrap his mind around what she'd said.

"You have to bond with them, Sam."

"No time, sir." She blinked back tears. "I don't want Fifth connected to them."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Plan A, Jack. There's no choice."

Jack suddenly remembered what they'd agreed upon over ten years ago the last time Fifth had messed with their lives. Crap, no!

"No plan A, Carter! It won't work." Jack took each baby from Sam's arms and handed them off to Cassandra and a nurse. He felt his heart ache with something he refused to acknowledge. Turning his head, he yelled at Daniel and Teal'c, "Sound the alarm. Full alert. Fifth's here!"

Daniel tripped the ship's alarm and opened his com to talk to the Bridge. Teal'c removed his zat and stood on guard.

"Please, Jack. I must go." Sam pleaded.

"No! He can take me!" Jack bent over and embraced her.

"Not your call." She pushed him away. Her cheeks washed with fresh tears. "It's what we do, Jack. We do the right thing for Earth."

"Fercry'outloud!" A brilliant white light encompassed the medical bay's delivery room. Jack reached for his zat but couldn't move. He helplessly watched as Sam slowly shoved upright into a sitting position. Staring into his eyes, she cradled his face with her trembling hands, then leaned in and kissed his lips. He could taste the salt of her tears, feel the heat of her mouth as she breathed into him, bonding for the last time.

"Forgive me? I will always love you, Jack. Forever and always."

The blinding light brightened then vanished. The last thing Jack heard was Fifth's mocking laughter. "She's mine now, O'Neill."

The screeching of the high alert alarm echoed throughout the ship. Dozens of armed Marines jammed into the birthing room. The medical staff thawed and looked about startled, confused. Jack stared down at the delivery bed's crumbled white sheets. Save for the bloody stains from Sam giving birth, the table was empty. His wife was gone.

"No!" He screamed.

A moment later Grace and JJ stood before him crying. Relieved, Jack gathered them into his arms while his heart grieved. Jack swore to God, that no matter how long it took, even if he had to march into hell, he would bring Sam home.

End of Chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

**Never Say Ever Say Never Novella  
**

**Chapter 7**

**Doctor Daniel Jackson's Personal Journal: **

Almost three years after Sam's abduction by Fifth, our galaxy and others remain in turmoil. The Wrath continues to lay waste to other worlds while Earth's population has been cut in half. The landscape of Earth and its inhabitants have changed. As I write this, remnants of ally races seek refuge on Earth. The same goes with former enemies. We've yet to understand why neither the Wraith nor Replicators finished the job they started with the first wave of our world. For this small mercy we're grateful.

Don't get me wrong Earth is a mess. The Wraith still make impromptu harvest sweeps and no one is exempt. It's every man, woman, and child for themselves. Since the Wraith's appetite leans toward adults, orphaned children are everywhere. Small factions of dictators and opportunists threaten to destroy the delicate thread of democracy that has managed to survive throughout the world. Pillaging and crime runs rapid as the last vestiges of humanity try to survive an even greater threat, hopeless despair. It's difficult to know whom to trust. Most people don't. Everyone carries weapons. One can get killed for looking cross-eyed at a stranger. It's like the return of the Wild, Wild West.

Previous modern conveniences like electricity, clean water and bottled gas are coveted commodities. The use of currency has bee replaced with bartering. Basically a million dollar bill won't buy you a cup of coffee. People are learning to survive with the barest necessities and live off the land. I personally believe it's not a bad problem. I know Jack prefers this simpler lifestyle. I often think that is one of the reasons he stays sane.

With Cheyenne Mountain destroyed, General Jack O'Neill heads the formally-displaced military forces for Homeworld Security against the Replicator, Wrath, and Goa'uld, that includes an occasional displaced Ori follower. Side note: Some complain Baal's a major headache, but on our list of tribulations, Jack and I think him mere indigestion.

Home Base for the SGC and Earth's defenses settled into the most unlikely place, the rocky terrain of Northern Minnesota. Yep, the land of sky blue waters. Here with the aid of the Tok'ra, a network of underground caverns has been created to house the military and freedom minded folks dedicated to protecting Earth at all costs.

Between Doctor Elizabeth Weir and myself we managed to create a treaty amongst the Jaffa and Tok'ra. The former enemies now work side-by-side the Tau'ri at the new SGC, previously called _Safe Haven_ but for security reasons is now referenced to as J.A.C.O.B. short for Jack's Alternate Cabin Operative Base. Jack's idea. Sam would have loved it!

Despite the unpleasant state of affairs the O'Neill family remains strong and supportive of each other, especially Jack who is still dealing with demons and the lose of his 2IC, his best friend, lover and wife, Samantha Carter-O'Neill. Jack refuses to acknowledge Sam is dead and his unwavering faith, strengths the rest of his family's resolve that God willing, she will be returned to us.

However each passing day without Sam's cheerful presence darkens this place we call home, and drains life from my best friend and kindred brother, Jack. So we take life day-by-day and play the cards we've been dealt because as Jack would say, "That's what we do."

Twenty-four seven Jack keeps a lantern burning in the cabin's front window. JJ says it'll help his mom find her way home. I think Jack believes him. I know I do.

JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ

Two bittersweet songs play a lot in Jack's head and last night, he'd set the CD's on instant replay in his bedroom just loud enough for him to hear. Strange, how songs incite dreams and these two always did. It was only in his dreams he took refuge from the harsh reality that he slept alone. . . without Sam.

"_A candy-colored clown they call the sandman Tiptoes to my room every night Just to sprinkle stardust and to whisper "Go to sleep, everything is all right._

_I close my eyes then I drift away Into the magic night, I softly say A silent prayer like dreamers do Then I fall asleep to dream my dreams of you_

_In dreams I walk with you In dreams I talk to you In dreams you're mine all the time We're together in dreams, in dreams But just before the dawn I awake and find you gone_

_I can't help it I can't help it if I cry I remember that you said goodbye . . .Too bad it only seems It only happens in my dreams Only in dreams In beautiful dreams. . ."_

"_Where do broken hearts go Can they find their way home Back to the open arms Of a love that's waiting there And if somebody loves you Won't they always love you I look in your eyes And I know that you still care for me."_

_"Samantha?" Jack drawled kissing her hot pulse spot at the arch of her neck, then branding her with a gentle love bite. _

_"Um, please, Jack, love me!" _

_"__Yeah," Jack groaned. He was making wild passionate love to Sam and it felt like paradise, like it had always been! Man, he'd missed her! "I love you, Carter."_

_"Prove it, sir. Now!" she cried out demanding his release, her nails clawing at his back, her legs holding him prisoner in the sweetest torture ever. "Love me, Jack!" _

_"Yes!" He held and caressed his wife as galaxies exploded within the core of his being. Their oneness of pleasure transformed into cold abandonment as Sam began to slip from his embrace into the void of a large black hole that now encompassed the mattress beneath them._

"_Stay?"_

"_I can't. Find me, Jack." She reached for him but their fingers failed to touch._

"_You're with me, babe." _

"_No! I'm lost."_

"_Please, Sam?" He lunged for her but she was sucked into the fathomless black hole._

"Jack!" A voice, not Carter's burned his right ear and a masculine hand shook his sweat soiled shoulder.

"Uh?" Jack was torn and ripped asunder from lovemaking as reality crashed in and he stopped moving, stopped loving Sam.

"Geez, Jack!" The sleigh bed's frame squeaked. "You're going to wake the entire house, including the kids."

"Daniel?" Jack muttered, turning his head away from Sam's scented pillow.

"Yeah." The linguist's voice sounded regretfully, pitiful for him.

Focusing through eyes wet with tears of passion and loss, Jack realized Sam was not beneath him. Nor was he alone. A bare-chested, PJ bottom clad, Daniel Jackson sat at his side and sheepishly shoved his glasses back up his nose and then avoided Jack's open mouth stare.

Jack felt the sticky heat of his seed between his thighs and the pillow he'd been making love to. Crap! He turned his shamed expression away from his best friend and bite down hard on his lower lip drawing blood. Where was a rock when you needed one?

"Sorry," he hoarsely whispered and rolled into a fetal position with his back to the linguist.

"Don't be," Daniel said with masculine understanding Jack didn't want to hear.

"Get out." He curled deeper beneath the blankets wishing he were dead, wishing to be back at Baal's Bed and Breakfast torture net, anything else, but this horrid reality.

"We'll find her, Jack."

"Don't." He swiped a maverick tear and jerked away as Daniel proceeded to knead his stress-tightened shoulders.

The younger man's soothing touch didn't leave him. "Stop blaming yourself, Jack."

"Oh, and just who do I blame? Four kids left without their mother, not to mention Cass and Charlie?" He flipped over and glared up at Daniel. "I'm the one who let Sam carry out asinine plan A that never works to begin with. She broke our vow of trust and—"

"Sam had no choice. Fifth was inside her just like he'd been with Thor!" Daniel snapped as Jack pushed up into a sitting position and scrubbed his face with his hands. "Don't you get it, Jack? Sam loved you, the kids, all of us more than herself. Like it or not, her sacrifice freed Earth from Fifth!"

"You call Earth being the battlefield for the Replicator and Wraith's feud, free?" Jack snorted.

"No. But Sam has gained us almost three years to form a stronger resistance and—"

"Made my life a living hell!" Jack leapt out of bed and stormed to the adjoining bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

"I never thought I'd see the day that four-star General Jack O'Neill would feel sorry for himself!"

"Hate to disappoint ya but I'm a one man pity party!" Jack yelled back.

"Like that's a revelation!" Daniel barged into the bathroom just as Jack stepped out of his soiled boxers and into the shower yanking the curtain between them. "You think you're the only one hurting? Billions of people are far worse off than we are. We've got roofs over our heads, food, and clothing. Got family and friends and like it or not, we've got one hell of a plan B that would never have happened if Sam hadn't sacrificed herself."

As the hot water spilled over him, Jack shoved his wet head out of the curtain and snarled at the younger. "You just don't get it, Danny boy. I'm the one who created this fricking intergalactic mess with Fifth. Maybe if I'd let him come with us the first time, none of this would have happened. Maybe if I'd not resisted when I was in Sam's head with Fifth this last time she'd be here."

"Fifth was just trying to distract you from helping the twins, Jack."

"No! Despite his obsession with Sam it's always been about getting even with me for deserting him."

"True, but if you'd gone where would you be?"

"Dead or with Fifth. Doesn't matter. Don't you see I was to be the sacrificial lamb, not her! Sam went behind my back, deceived me! Now get the hell out of my bathroom and," his voice softened, "Start breakfast!"

"Start breakfast?" Daniel mouthed wide-eyed.

"Ya deaf?" Jack returned to his haven of hot water and steam.

"Getting there." Daniel mumbled, often their verbal spars were the normal wakeup call. "Umm, well, so you want pancakes, French Toast or eggs?"

"My usual. And scrambled eggs for the twins, please?" He sighed as his limbs trembled and he slid down the bathtub wall, shutting his eyes.

"Okay." Daniel opened the door. "Um, Jack?"

"What?"

"I love you, bro."

"Ditto." Jack replied softly, imagining Daniel's sibling-like smile as the door closed. No one besides his family which included Daniel and Teal'c ever saw General Jack O'Neill fall a part. Oddly, of late, it'd been Daniel who suffered the blunt of his angry despair. Always the confidant and best friend, Daniel kept Jack's private misery from the SGC and when necessary, the family, even Cassandra.

There were times Jack found himself begrudgingly admitting that he didn't know if he'd still be sane without Daniel's friendship and loyalty. They'd been to hell and back more than once over the last twenty-plus years. For whatever it was worth, Jack remained grateful for their sibling like bond. Of course the fact, Daniel was also Jack's son-in-law made it weirder.

Although he rarely admitted it, Jack was glad that Daniel and Cassandra hitched up. Upon their physically joining Daniel's acquired some of Cassandra's Ancient genes and because he'd transcended twice Daniel also possessed latent Ancient genes. Like Jack and Sam their normal aging had slowed down. Apparently once an Ancient couple consummated their love the aging process was literally cut in half.

Years before Thor had estimated that Jack and Sam were aging one year for every five Tau'ri years. Upon examining Jack, Doctor Lee believed differently. It'd taken him three years to decipher the Ancients genetic DNA code, that more than doubled that aging process and compared it to blending with a Goa'uld or Tok'ra symbiote. The difference was that after reaching physical maturity ten Earth years equaled one Ancient year.

At present the O'Neill family and Daniel would live well into their hundreds and then some. That's if they didn't get killed crossing the street. The children were growing at a normal human rate. Doctor Lee didn't expect their Ancient aging metabolism to kick in until they reached adult maturity.

Grace had entered puberty and was female hormones gone amuck. Each month when she'd start menstruating the guys literally fled the cabin. It didn't help that her Ancient DNA had kicked into gear three years earlier than it had with Cassandra. Then again, Nirrti had messed with Cassandra's inherit abilities. This time there was no self-destruct fuse inside of Grace. And Grace didn't need to redirect her excess energy, although she too could elevate objects. She had also acquired one of Jack's Ancient traits, genetically enhanced sensory perceptions that included hearing. Even over the shower noise, Jack could hear the floorboard's light squeak outside the bathroom.

"Get lost, Daniel!" Jack barked loud enough to hear the younger man scramble away from door onto the landing.

Returning to his somber state, Jack drew his aching knees to his chest, dropped his head as the near scalding water battered his skin and made it burn. He didn't care. Without restraint he wept bitterly. "Oh, God, bring her back to me . . .to us?" Another sob shattered him and Jack turned his tear-streaked face into the shower's spray. He'd not cried in weeks, let alone in front of anyone. The resilient O'Neill's dam had broken and he hadn't the fortitude to rebuild it. "Sam," he cried out, "please come home?"

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Daniel left the bedroom and stepped onto the open loft's landing. Below him two sets of eyes, one blue and one brown looked at him with concern in the dawn's morning light. Daniel drew a long breath and exhaled.

"What?" he shrugged and scratched his six-pack, feeling the cold hardwood floor beneath his bare feet, he was glad he'd thrown on his sweats after checking on Jack.

"How is he?" Cassandra drew the sash of her tattered red robe around her slender waist then eased her arm around Grace's shoulders and pulled her sister into her arms.

"Showering." Daniel said with a weary tone and glanced at the military wall clock. Dang! 0715 hours. He yawned and took the stairs into the open designed kitchen, craving coffee.

"He misses mom." Grace chewed her lower lip like Sam. "More every day."

"Yeah. We all do, honey." Cass hugged her little sister and then pressed her lips to the girl's crown of long hair that had lost its former reddish tones and turned into a lovely honey blonde.

"Ya'd think it'd get easier." Daniel suggested, hoping there'd be no request for details of his and Jack's hurly-burly.

"Maybe if we knew she was truly dead." Cassandra closed her eyes. "But we don't. And I refuse to believe she is. Like Dad, I feel her here." She touched her heart. "And he won't leave her behind. Ever."

"And that honorable vow is killing him, killing us." Retu-Charlie stepped out of the bedroom he shared with Jonathan, who'd managed to sleep through the upstairs yelling match. He tucked in his black t-shirt and looked around for his boots.

"They're under the sofa," Cassandra said like a mother hen. "You're such a slob, Chuck. Wish you'd pick up after yourself." She'd gracefully switched the morbid subject matter to the mundane.

"Then you'd have no reason to nag me." He chuckled through a yawn. "And hey, don't you two have your own place up the road?"

"Yes, and don't you have private base quarters, when you're on call?"

Daniel watched the siblings exchange nods. Strange, they always gravitated home every few days. Even though he and Cassandra had moved into their own log house last year, they couldn't stay away. All these years after SG-1 had disbanded they loved each other stronger than ever. They were family and like it or not, Jack and the kids remained the center of Daniel and Cassandra's lives.

Choosing to not have kids until the fricking war ended, they tried however poorly to fill the void Sam had left not only in their lives, but Jack's and their children's lives. Sam's children. Man, she'd be so proud if she could see them now. Jack was a great parent. Daniel hoped that one day God willing, he could be half the father Jack O'Neill had proven to be.

After witnessing his best buddy in pain Daniel vowed that come hell or high water, he'd find Sam and bring her home. Like Jack always said, no one gets left behind.

"Um, guys, today's their wedding anniversary," he reminded them.

"Which one?" Charlie yawned out.

"The first of course on Chulak." Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"Still makes us bastards, Sis." He snorted.

"They had no control over your conceptions," Daniel noted making eye contact with the siblings.

"Daniel's right," Grace mumbled around a piece of homemade toast. "The point is the last anniversary was no different. So we deal and give dad plenty of space."

"Always." Cassandra's voice tightened. She turned toward the kitchen and busied herself grinding coffee beans and swiping an occasional tear.

Daniel strolled into the kitchen. Passing Charlie, the two men shared brotherly looks. Daniel felt Charlie's probing mind. "Hey, stay out of my head, _Chucky_."

Charlie snorted. "I so don't want in your head, _Uncle Danny_."

"And will you stop calling me, Uncle. Last I checked I was you're my brother-in-law."

"Yeah, like don't remind me." The younger taunted with a smirk.

"Charlie!" Cass reprimanded. "It's not nice to tap thoughts, especially this early in the morning."

"Oh, and like I'm the exception to the rule?" He snipped.

"No, but as Daniel can't read your mind, it's not fair. Besides you know the house rules on mind-merging."

"Which is just wrong on so many levels." Charlie argued.

"Charlie." Grace shot her big brother a warning look. "Dad set those regs out of respect and privacy for all of us. So we don't forget our humanity. We only head-chat when two parties agree or when we're at full alert!"

"Which makes me wonder why, if mom were alive, she's never mind-merged with any of us, let alone dad. We're all linked, even Daniel."

"I'm only permanently linked to Cass," Daniel reminded him.

"Um, then explain why you knew I was just messing with you before."

"Coz, I'm brilliant." Daniel quipped, then snapped his mouth shut. Darn, he'd just quoted Sam. Fortunately no one seemed to notice.

"Yes you are, dear." Cassandra smiled. "But mom and dad are branded in ways we're still trying to comprehend. I mean they're bonded Ancients! If mom were dead, dad would know." Cassandra let fly and then clamped her mouth shut.

That was a subject rarely discussed let alone in Jack's presence. Daniel prayed Jack wasn't eavesdropping. The man could hear a fly in another room. Daniel rubbed his wife's trembling shoulders and an uncomfortable lull fell between the four of them. The only sounds were of coffee brewing, Thor snoring, and the birds chirping outside.

"Yeah, my point exactly." Charlie broke the uneasy silence.

"Guys." Daniel cleared his throat and three sets of eyes turned to look at him. "Let's not forget that even though Sam has not spoken with Jack, their souls remain bonded and that's why Jack and myself included, believe no matter the lack of communication, Sam's alive."

"Sure, whatever." Charlie bitterly looked away.

Daniel opened his mouth and then shut it. Of all the kids Charlie remained the skeptic concerning Sam's survival. No doubt being a Tok'ra host had hardened him. Odd, that over the years Jack had become the eternal optimist of the O'Neill clan, while Charlie had taken Jack's former position of the cup being half empty.

"I'll check on the twins." Grace sought distraction. "Of course, why's beyond me. They'll want dad first thing. Probably destroyed the bedroom by now."

"If they're asleep don't wake 'em." Charlie donned his wrinkled button-down BDU shirt over a black tee shirt then glanced at his watch, grumbling.

"I'm not stupid." Grace rolled her eyes. "If the monsters want to sleep until noon, that's fine with me."

"We can only wish." Cassandra chuckled.

"I don't get how two Ancient children who can read minds, move objects etc., etc., refuse to use the toilet." Daniel groused at Cassandra.

"It's the O'Neill pigheadedness."

"Whatever." Grace snorted. "I was potty trained before I was two."

"But still sucked a pacifier." Cassandra snorted.

"Hey!" Grace gave her sister the finger in typical O'Neill fashion which meant two fingers.

"And it's your turn to potty train today." Cassandra reminded.

"Who died and made you queen?" Grace took the stairs and glared down at her older sister.

"Maybourne." Charlie shot back with an evil smirk.

"Yeah, and where is the former king and newly appointed General Harry?" Daniel glanced at his wife while he pulled his tee shirt over his head, caught her admiring eye and winked.

"Don't look at me, I'm just the CMO, cook and bottle washer who's got one hour before Infirmary duty."

"Harry's on the midnight shift with Teal'c this week." Charlie sleepily stumbled to the work center and plopped on a stool, dropping his head to the counter. "Gosh don't, you guys, check the duty roster anymore?"

"What for? General Jack tells me what I need to know." Daniel scratched his bearded jaw. He preferred Jack in charge. The only times he didn't, were when Jack's demons came out to play. After their dawn encounter he knew it'd be a hellish day for everyone at the SGC, especially the O'Neill household. Thankfully, Daniel had to train new recruits. Not his favorite duty but today he welcomed it.

"I still can't handle dad promoting Maybourne to general." Cassandra shuddered as she lifted the iron frying pan from an overhead hook and set it on the wood-burning stove, that remained stoked twenty-four seven since the arrival of mid-autumn.

"Give him a break, Cass, the man's changed and if Jack trusts him, we should too." Daniel insisted.

"Never happen." She challenged her husband. "He gives me the creeps. And mom never liked him."

"He's saved our butts more than once and Jack's."

"Only coz it saved his own sorry hide." Cassandra argued, slamming the oven door shut then turning to confront Daniel, who realized how much she acted and looked like Sam, especially when mad, which was just plain weird.

"Your choice." He diplomatically took the hot tray of muffins from her and glanced at Charlie who played dumb and stayed out of the couple's squabble.

"For crying out loud, Daniel, Maybourne had the hots for mom." She made a face of disgust.

"Lots of men had the hots for Sam, still do." Daniel chuckled.

"Really?" she challenged. "Does that include you?"

His mouth dropped open.

Charlie coughed.

"Um, well, that's just wrong on so many levels, Cass! Your mom's been like my sister forever."

"Just checking." She glowered.

Confused, Daniel shook his head. Women, he'd never understand them!

"Um, guys?" Charlie cleared his throat and tipped his head to where the nursery door opened, Grace tiptoed out and bounded down the steps, sighing relief.

"They're up, but want quote, _'General Dad'_." Grace shuffled across the floor in her home-knit slippers. "Thankfully, he's almost dressed."

Calling a visual truce with his wife, Daniel retrieved the homemade bread, while Grace grabbed the dish of eggs she'd collected from the hens less than an hour before.

"Good." Cassandra smiled over her shoulder, then sobered and met Daniel's compassionate gaze. "I thank God for those two blessings everyday."

"Yeah, me too." Grace grinned. "But they're levitating again. Jacob almost whacked me in the head with his piggy bank. Can't wait until they get their motor skills down."

"Did he apologize?" Charlie glanced up.

"Of course. Started crying that he didn't mean it, blah, blah, blah."

"They're good kids." Daniel stuffed a muffin in his mouth and a piece of bread into the toaster.

"The best." Charlie grinned. "And cute as a Carter when they're competing for dad's attention."

"Yeah, if not for them, he'd have—" Cassandra snagged her lower lip and turned away, blinking back tears.

"What?" Thirteen-year-old Grace looked up with a horrific expression.

From behind his glasses Daniel gave his wife a cautious look.

"Nothing." Cassandra forced a smile that didn't touch her eyes. "I'm just glad we've got them."

"Yeah." Grace smiled. "Me too. There's so much of mom in them, especially Janet."

Everyone went silent. Cassandra swiped at a remnant tear. After all these years, she still missed her surrogate mother. Daniel buried his personal pain even deeper. To this day, they'd never spoken about Daniel's former true feelings for Janet and God willing it would stay that way.

"You know we might have to add another addition to this place." Daniel said to divert from the morbid mood that had settled in.

"We already raised the roof, added five bedrooms and thirty feet to the first floor," Charlie groaned. "Maybe if a certain couple stayed home, we'd not be shoulder-to-shoulder."

"Well, I'm glad Teal'c has night duty this week. At least he's not hogging a bed when we're all here."

"I can't wait until Ishta returns. Feeding Teal'c is a never-ending task. Speaking of which he should be back soon." Cassandra glanced at the clock. "Grace would you mind getting a head start on T's breakfast?"

"Sure." She opened the refrigerator and frowned. "But I'll need more eggs. The hens won't lay another batch until this afternoon."

"Soon as I'm signed in, I'll ask cook to ring some up to you, Hon." Daniel offered.

"Okay, coz you know he'll eat half a dozen."

Everyone laughed.

"Good morning, campers," Jack cheerfully said as he stepped onto the second floor landing with two squirming toddlers tucked under each arm.

"Hey, Dad," his grownup kids replied in unison.

"Eat!" Janet tugged on Jack's neck while her short legs dog paddled behind him.

"I wanna cookie." Jacob reached over and pinched Janet's arm.

"Ow!" she wailed and tried to return the affection. Jack kept them a bay.

"No cookies before noon," he insisted. "And no pinching, biting or hitting, understood?"

Daniel chuckled as the head of Homeworld Security dressed in well-worn blue BDU's with two giggling toddlers glared from one child to the other, awaiting their obedient acknowledgments. That's if obedience meant tickling their father's ribs.

"Hey, no tickling!" Jack warned half-heartedly. Hoisting little Janet over his shoulders where she hung on to his silver-haired head, Jack carted them down the stairs as if they were weightless.

"Where's JJ?" his CO tone dropped into place as he did a headcount.

"Where else? Sleeping," Grace said with a devious sibling smirk.

"Ah." Jack winked and bounced Janet over his head and into his arms, while Jacob tried to break free and go after their dog Thor still curled up by the fireplace that boasted a strong hot fire. "Well, kids." He set down the twins. "Maybe you should give your big brother a wake up call."

Giggling, the twins raced off into the other bedroom.

"You're evil, Dad." Cassandra smiled.

"Ya think?" He walked over and kissed her cheek then held her tender gaze.

"And incorrigible."

"That too?" He winked, only to be temporarily distracted by one unhappy Jonathon O' Neill.

"Stop it. Get me off the ceiling? Hey, Dad!"

Childish laughter and babbling rang from the hallway and the newest addition to the Minnesota cabin they now called home. Not one adult or teen for that matter paid attention to the O'Neill sibling riot.

Cassandra kept cooking, while Grace poured fresh squeezed orange juice. "Um, you know this is the last of the oranges?" She glanced at her dad.

"Yeah." He frowned. "Base supplies are getting low again. I'll talk to Doctor Lee and find out when the next crop's due."

"Don't, Janet! Hey, Jacob, keep your grungy hands and mind off my model cars!"

Grace sauntered over and glanced through the opened bedroom door. "Told ya to get up before."

"Brat!" JJ yelled.

"Boggereater!" She stuck out her tongue and strolled into the kitchen, grinning at Jack, who reached out and gave her a hug that she returned.

"How's my other girl?" He kissed her forehead.

"Hungry." She kissed his clean-shaven jaw.

"Me too."

"Umm, your hair's sticking up, Dad." She grinned.

"When doesn't it?" he reached to slick it down, but gave up.

A louder plea from the JJ, "Hey, I'll let you play with my Legos', if you let me down, Jacob."

"'Kay," came a sweet voice, followed by a banging thud as the ten-year old hit the floor.

"Dang! That hurt. Da-ad, wilya get these alien brats out of my room?"

"If you ask nicely." Jack rolled his eyes and with his hands stuffed into his front pockets, he strolled into the bedroom.

Daniel poured three cups of coffee and handed one to Charlie.

Charlie sighed over his chipped cup. "Although it'll be nice when Walter returns from the field, I'm glad I've got Control Room duty today."

"Chicken." Daniel chuckled, opening one of several old books on the work center.

"Yes I am and proud of it!" The two men smiled and grinned.

Having retrieved the twins and directed them toward the overflowing toy box Jack lifted his stainless steel coffee mug and took a gulp, then said, "Hey, no levitating while I'm gone."

The twins turned on cue and nodded, but their mischievous grins warned it would be a long day. Grace put on her best long face.

"Geez, Dad, must I brat-sit? I'd rather clean the barn stalls and—"

"Nope." He glanced at the erasable wall calendar that had names and duties scribbled on the front page. "It's your day with the twins. JJ's got outside chores."

"But, Mom would have—"

"Mom's not here." He cupped her delicate chin and smiled into her gray-blue eyes watering with tears.

"I miss her, Dad." She sniffed a nose full.

"I know." He pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it to her leaky nose. "Blow."

After she'd finished Jack drew her into his arms, nudged his nose along the arch of her neck and began speaking softly to her. "So do I but . . . "

Although crying Grace nodded taking comfort against her father's shoulder as he continued to calm her, repeatedly stroking her long hair and back.

This was a cherished exchange that Daniel had the privilege to witness the between Jack and Sam and now Jack and his daughters. An intimate connection a stranger wouldn't notice, let alone comprehend, but Daniel did. Feeling like an intruder he looked away and stifled the emotion that crept into his throat. When he looked up, he met Cassandra's watery gaze, drew her into his arms and comforted her in his own way—their way.

"Now then." Jack cleared his throat and wiped Grace's wet warm cheeks with calloused fingertips. "Let's get on track shall we, Cadet O'Neill?"

"Yes, sir." She smiled and saluted, getting into their military role-playing.

Leave it to Jack, turning commander worked every time, Daniel mused, not to mention that none of his kids wanted to let their dad down, ever.

A bestial groan turned heads, including Jack's. "Jacob and Janet O'Neill put that dog down and get off him, now!"

Daniel rolled his eyes at the usual antics of the twins. The mellow German Shepard-Great Dane mix seemed more annoyed than scared. And who wouldn't be, floating four feet above the floor with twin toddlers riding him like a pony.

Jack overrode their levitation powers and gently lowered the dog to the floor then let it out the back door. "Sorry, Thor. Go fetch something, like um, a Wraith or Replicator." The dog wagged his tail and took off.

"You know, Jack, one of these days he's going to actually listen to you."

"We can only wish," Jack snorted with one of his dimpled, tight-lipped smirks that made Daniel smile. Unfortunately the moment that twinkle brightened the room, it vanished. Daniel watched with regret as that lost, faraway look crossed Jack's face before he stepped back to the counter.

Thankfully the moment the twins scampered into the kitchen giggling and tugged on Cassandra's robe for attention and breakfast, the O'Neill glimmer relit Jack's face. Cassandra was right, if not for the twins, Daniel feared Jack would not still be alive.

JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ

"Hold on, ya two." Cassandra smiled while Daniel and Charlie hoisted them onto stools and gave them small glasses of juice.

Jack settled between his kids and dished up their scrabbled eggs then watched them eat and jabber nonsense between mouthfuls. Man, he loved his kids! He wished Sam could see them . . . Crap! He felt his eyes mist and stuffed his emotions into another locked compartment.

"Man, oh, man, I'm starved." In colorful roadrunner boxers and tee shirt, JJ exited his bedroom scratching and yawning as he adjusted his glasses.

"You're always starved, pinhead." Charlie snorted at his kid brother. "And why do you get to sleep in when the rest of us don't? You're such a spoiled little monster."

"At least I wasn't hatched in an egg!"

"Don't push it, four eyes." Charlie turned and glared at the mouthy ten-year old.

"Snakehead!"

"Tit sucker!"

"Stand down, Lieutenant!" Cassandra warned.

"Yes, Ma'am." Charlie avoided his sister's glint.

Grace watched her siblings prattle with a grin full of eggs and then exchanged a look with Jack. He winked.

"Shed your skin lately," JJ jabbed Charlie's ribs as he walked by and took safety on the stool besides Jack.

"Why you mouthy bed-wetter!"

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Not!"

"Oh, here we go again." Daniel sighed.

Jack allowed his sons to practice their interpersonal skills as he flicked an invisible creature from his coffee. Darn, how come the dust always settled in his cup? As for the bedwetting remark, every since JJ drank too much juice one night and failed to hold it, Charlie used it for leverage.

"How do you do it?" Daniel set Jack's plate of buttered toast in front of him.

"Huh?" he took a bite and chewed.

"Jack?" Daniel tipped his head at the squabbling brothers.

"Oh, that? Had years of practice with you."

"Right." Daniel snickered.

On either side of them, the siblings exchanged hostile looks. Most of the animosity came from Charlie who remained jealous of his younger brother's normalcy per say. Partially because since losing his symbiote, Charlie aka Chuck was on major catch-up with life as a human. The poor kid remained in turmoil. Confused as to who or what he was. Jack knew his son was very much like himself at that age, but with Tok'ra and Retu baggage. Some might think Jack was too hard on the younger man but Jack knew that if he didn't push him, Charlie would be likely to walk and far more frightening, escape through the muzzle of a pistol against his temple.

"Hey," JJ came full circle and pointed at the twins. "You guys broke my bed again!"

"I'll fix it, son." Jack reached over and ruffled his natural spiked blonde hair then sniffed and gagged. "Geez, you reek. Get your butt in the shower, pronto."

"Whatever," groused the youth who grinned but said respectfully, "Yeah sure, yabetcha, sir."

Jack's intercom crackled from where it was attached to his shirt collar.

"O'Neill?" Teal'c voice echoed from the other end.

Jack touched the com's receiver. "Whatsup, T?"

"Request silent communication."

"Sure." Jack walked into the laundry room. He suspected Daniel, Charlie, Cassandra, and Grace were exchanging nervous looks. After he'd listened to Teal'c's report he ambled back into the kitchen still talking, "You know the routine, T. Tell Maybourne the same. Yep, on our way." His mouth flat-lined and he looked at his oldest son, daughters and then Daniel. "The Wraith are back in town, kids." He scrubbed his hands as if it were no big deal. "So are the Replicators and Baal."

"Triple trouble. Shit!" Grace said then caught Jack's disappointed look. "I mean, crap, I'm sorry, Dad." She closed her eyes to reprimand herself, before he did.

"Its okay, hon." He planted kisses on the twins jelly coated cheeks. "You two listen to your sister and brother while dad's at work."

They giggled and nodded, then gave him sloppy kisses that he didn't wipe off.

"Cadet Grace, you know your assignment. Also, fetch some extra MRE's from the cellar. Make sure everyone's backpacks are loaded with clothes and provisions."

"Just in case, sir?" she held his confident gaze.

"Yep, just in case."

"And tell JJ I don't want him in the fields. He's to feed the livestock manually, make sure the Naquadah Generator's off, return to the house and keep the security system on high alert. Also the rings are set for SGC access only." He kissed her forehead and then maintained eye contact until she nodded.

"Yes, sir."

Jack rushed into his office, opened the hidden wall armory and returned wearing his vest as he slide his zat into his hip holster. He felt Grace watch him secure his P-90 rifle and then the Bowie Knife on his belt.

"This is serious isn't it, Dad?" She walked over and touched his arm.

"Yes. But then every day is, hon. You know that."

She nodded as Cassandra gave her a quick hug and kiss. "Love ya, sis."

"Ditto." Grace slugged her gently but Jack heard their telepathic exchanges of sisterly concerns. He cleared his throat and looked away. Dang! He hated this. It'd been three months since the last high alert that had proved to be false. This one wasn't.

Meanwhile, Daniel and Charlie retrieved their vests and weapons from the vault. Coffee cup in hand, Jack walked into the living room while Charlie laced up his boots at the counter. "Lieutenant O'Neill!" he barked over his shoulder as he tugged his tan baseball cap over his head.

"Coming, sir." Charlie hobbled over on one foot.

Jack suppressed a smile.

Cassandra and Daniel gulped down their breakfasts.

"Duty calls, kids." Jack reintegrated to the older members of his team.

"Um, uniform, Cass!" Daniel gestured as he zipped up his vest and handed over her gear.

"I'll change below." She hurried to the ring's circle and waited on her men, slipping the strap of her P-90 over her shoulder. Daniel snatched up a book and coffee and rushed to Jack's side.

"We're ringing to the Prometheus II, Doc, and will return you to base." Jack had gone military mode and no one would argue, well except for . . .

"With all due respect, General, I request permission to—"

"We got eleven wounded and three causalities in the last hour. You have an Infirmary to run, Captain!" His steely glint gave no leeway for argument.

"Yes, sir." Cassandra yielded while her lower lip tightened in a pout that often worked in the past.

"Don't!" Jack snapped, not looking at her. If he did, he'd give in.

"Sorry, sir." She nodded as Charlie whispered, "Consider yourself lucky, sis."

"Whatever!" She snorted tightening her robe's sash.

"Force field, Cadet." Jack reminded Grace who was wiping up spilled juice.

"On, sir!" She saluted as the rings shot up from the hardwood floor and her family went to work.

"Hey!" A drenched JJ raced out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist. He skidded to a halt on wet feet as the last ring vanished, then looked at his sister's troubled expression. "What?"

"Bug Eyes is back, the Wraith are harvesting again, and dad's favorite false god just dropped in to say hi."

"Baal?"

"Ya think?"

"Crap!" said the twins before he could.

"Yeah. Geez, wish mom was here." JJ groused.

Grace glowered.

"I'm just saying . . ."

End of Chapter 7


	8. Chapter 8

**Never Say Never Novella**

**Chapter 8**

Doctor Samantha Carter kicked the deflated tire of her black Indian motorcycle. She couldn't believe it. She had a flat in the middle of nowhere with no spare. She'd already repaired it twice, only to ride a few more miles on the pot-holed gravel road before the tread split wide opened. Hopeless came to mind, even for her.

She squinted at the dusk-tinged sky and slipped off her scratched shades. Mid-autumn, it'd be dark in a few hours and another cold damp night alone in her sleeping bag. She'd yet to dry out from the last thunderstorm. She never should have left the communal campsite thirty clicks back. Not to mention they'd warned the gravel road was impassible. The heavy rains this week hadn't helped. Her road bike wasn't meant for rugged off-road excursions. Well, she could make camp or keep walking, but to where? The cities were no longer safe and that's why she'd done like so many and headed for God's country. She'd have preferred the northern Rockies, but it was too late in the year for that expedition. Snow would already be falling there.

Good and nasty types sought refuge in Earth's dense forests. The more rugged and natural the terrain proved, the less chance of being hunted. Knives, spears, bows and arrows had become the preferred weapons. Metal weapons, stun guns, and bulletproof vests were hot targets for the Replicators. Sam had shed her pistol and vest years ago. Besides bullets were hard to come by. She'd learned to rely on her self-defense skills and Bowie knife.

Still the Wraith and Replicators did have Achilles' heels. The Wraith hated the heavily populated areas and forests as they had a rough time chasing prospective meals. That much had been learned from the Atlantis teams. The Replicators disliked damp cold. One would think since they traveled in freezing space the cold wouldn't affect them. It wasn't the cold. It was the moisture. Sam soon determined not just moisture irritated the metallic bugs. Natural resources like water, oil, dirt, and all carbon based life. That explained one reason their first excursion to Earth, at least, what she'd read in the reports regarding a Russian Submarine, had failed.

Basically, the elements that made up this blue planet couldn't feed or help the Replicators replicate or evolve. No doubt the reason they'd yet to destroy Earth. Being far from the technologically advanced Asgard colonies, we were slim pickings.

Sam unhitched her backpack from the bike and hoisted it over her shoulders. She then dragged the heavy bike off the path or what there was of one, and covered it with brush and twigs. She couldn't take the chance of a Replicator finding the cycle. Nope, she didn't want her precious bike to become a feast for the metal-hungry bugs or blown to bits a Wraith.

Hopefully, she'd come across other outland citizens with wheels, who could spare enough rubber to mend the tire. If not, she was in deep trouble. Bad enough she'd been low on fuel. Since the invasion, being out in the open at night was not wise. Her mind set Sam started her upward hike on the single lane road of the backwoods of Minnesota.

For grins, she tested her cellular. No luck. There wasn't a tower within miles and even if there were it didn't work. Why she carried it made no sense. Just something else to attract Replicators. She should have listened to Daniel and headed northwest, when he and Janet left DC over two years ago. But she'd been foolish, thinking there'd be safety in the Pentagon's bomb shelters with other scientists and Chiefs of Staff. And for eighteen months there had been, but eventually the Replicators found them out. Those who could, escaped. Now there was no government, no military, just Replicators and Wraith everywhere.

Every organized government in the world crumbled. Small pockets of resistance came and went, but no one could defeat the two alien armies that had decided to use Earth as their battlefield, winner take all. So far it remained a tie with Earth being slowly destroyed in the process.

There was however still hope in one man both aliens feared. A man who was said to have the powers of a lost civilization called the Ancients. The man, a former Air Force officer named, O'Neill, whom Daniel had recently hooked up with somewhere in this region.

Sam owed Daniel a humongous apology and explanation for her hostile behavior when she'd injured him months' back. She suffered occasional bouts of disorientation. Some people thought her psychotic. Maybe so. That'd explain the bizarre dreams she regularly experienced. The only thing she remembered was that she'd threatened to, 'gut Daniel.' Why, she'd no idea. At the time, she'd believed he was a Replicator. After all, Replicators had perfected how to mimic bruises and bleeding. What Replicators couldn't do was mimic body secretions and odors. Daniel had smelled unclean, sweating. But Sam hadn't analyzed that factor until days later, only to find he'd left her behind.

So here she was. But where was here? And was she any closer to finding her friend? For all she knew the last outpost known as New Haven could have been compromised by now.

Heck, there was nothing far as the eye could see but rugged forest terrain, rivers, lakes and lots of frightened, wild animals. Sam swore that every living creature had migrated here. The one place the Replicators had no need to visit, while the Wraith rarely drop in to harvest because of the dense tree populated area. Despite her circumstances, this was the safest Sam had felt in years. Over a hundred miles from nowhere was where she'd wanted to be and gotten her wish. The alone part added to the irony of her situation.

As she trudged up the incline heading west, Sam reminisced about splitting with Jonas Hanson. Along with the fact, he'd set himself up as the leader of a rag-tag militia intent to rule the world, Jonas was bonkers. By the time Sam realized that he'd set his sights on her. Although once infatuated with Jonas, Sam refused to commit to the wacko man. Then things turned ugly.

Jonas bragged that he had made a pack with the leader of the Replicators, Fifth. Sam didn't stay around to hear the specifics of that bargain. She escaped with a price on her head. Even though the world was at war Jonas would not give up until he reclaimed or killed her. Sam would rather die. After several human-like Replicators had befriended her, Sam no longer trusted anyone, especially people she knew.

Man, oh, man, what Sam wouldn't give for an honest strong man who'd love and respect her independent nature. A relationship of equality, where they watched each other's back. She'd realized that wouldn't happen with Jonas. Besides he walked the lunatic fringe. Which she admittedly liked. Now if she could find someone who walked that dangerous line but loved Samantha Carter for who she was, she'd be happy. Long as she could remember Sam had dreamt of a tall, silver-haired man with penetrating brown eyes, she called her _Silver Fox_.

Every night he came to her and they'd make passionate love until sunrise. Each time, he'd profess his love for her. "Okay, forever and always," he'd tell her in a masculine tenor that made her quiver with need. Sam recalled how at the end of those erotic dreams, he'd be sucked into a dark black hole. Each time she awoke drenched in perspiration, clinging to the bedding, weeping for the loss of a lover she'd never had.

Always? Sam sighed. For now she'd settle surviving another day. Always, seemed as far away as her dream lover. Sam had no one but herself to depend upon. Her parents had died during the first wave of invasions, and far as she knew, her brother Mark and his family were also dead. Because the Replicators had discovered how to impersonate humans, people were distrustful in general.

Meanwhile, wild and domestic animals were highly treasured as they could detect a replicated human. Basically they wanted nothing to do with the replicators and often attacked them out of self-preservation. The opposite worked for the Wraith, as animals were fearful and most often tried to flee. Well, all except, Thor, Sam's German Shepard mix. Man, she missed that mutt. He'd been her guardian and companion, but five months ago she'd given him to a needy family with children for protection. As much as Sam wanted another dog she longed more for human companionship.

An hour later, she peered at the boiling sun that began its descent into the western sky. She had to make camp. Sam halted when she spotted a clearing, then a meadow just past the crook in the road and a manmade stonewall. A dog barked. A horse neighed. She wondered if someone farmed—

"Hey lady!"

Sam ducked too late as the horse's hooves cleared the four-foot wall. Agonizing pain fired through her skull.

As she collided with the hard packed earth she heard a man yell, "Crap!"

JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ

"Shit!"

"Swearing won't help, Dad."

"I'm open for suggestions." Jack O'Neill rolled his eyes at his son, before turning to the unconscious woman on his bed.

"Hey." Charlie curiously peered over his shoulder. "I could ride Star or take the four wheeler to the Jackson's—"

"No. It's too late for you to be out alone by horse or wheels. You know the regs. Besides, I called Doc. She's got critically wounded in OR, but will be back ASAP. We just have to get _'her'_ awake and keep _'her'_ that way as long as possible."

"Maybe if you swear some more, Dad." Grace chirped from his lap as she gazed at the sleeping woman with a wide-eyed recognition. Jack had tried his best to keep the Sam double a secret from his family, but failed. Oddly, they were dealing better than he was. His gut hurt and his heart thought it'd burst with joy—false joy.

Planting a kiss on Grace's head, Jack hoisted the curly haired blonde off his lap and directed her toward Charlie.

"Maybe if you guys finish supper, she'll have something to eat when she wakes up." He groused.

"Gotcha." Charlie sighed and trudged toward the doorway with Grace ahead of him laughing. Soon as she'd left the room, the young man stared back at the bed then swiped a lone tear. "It's hard to believe. Sure it's not her, Dad?" The tear disarmed Jack. Charlie hadn't cried since Sam vanished.

"No. Well," He forced himself to look more composed than he felt. "It's possible."

"If this is mom, they, um, Fifth probably messed with her head, ya know." The young man reminded him.

"Know that." Jack turned away to hide his misting eyes.

"Remember the precautionary regs. She could be another Replicarter."

"Charlie!" Jack snapped. "I make the rules. The odds are she's not our Samantha."

"Yes, sir." The youth stiffened and nodded. "Coz she looks like the last one that almost . . ."

Jack met his son's troubled expression. "I won't be fooled this time, son."

"I know."

A moment fell between them before Charlie added, "Good news. The animals didn't spook like they did around the Replicater. Gotta admit this one looks exactly like mom. Even got that cute mole under her left eye." His lower lip trembled. "Course, so'd the bug one. Geez, Dad, what if they evolved again. If they can't be detected by the dogs, if she's, its . . ."

"Charlie." Jack walked over and gave the taller young man a fatherly hug. "This will be rough on everyone, son. And you're right, the animals didn't spook and Thor went ape when he saw her, in a good way. But that doesn't mean we're going to take unnecessary chances. Like you said the Replicators could have perfected, evolved. They've done it with dogs and—."

"But you believe she's mom?"

"I believe with God anything's possible. Besides Replicators don't sweat, or . . ." she'd wet her underwear, no doubt a result of the head trauma.

"But they can replicate internal human functions."

"Bleeding yes. Not bodily exterminates."

"You mean?"

"Yes. She um, her bladder and bowels work." He glanced back at Sam's perspiring face.

"Sweet!" The young man swiped at his leaky nose and grinned. "Holy Hannah, Dad, mom found her way home."

"Yes, well, let's hope so." He gazed at the miracle occupying their bed. After almost three years his lover, wife, and mother of his children, Samantha O'Neill was home. He hoped. He'd need more proof, but from what'd he seen of the woman in his bed she appeared to be Sam.

Jack spoke to Charlie softly. "This doesn't leave the room, son."

Charlie nodded. "Yes, sir. I figured that much. So um, you going to be okay with her alone?" He waggled his brown brows as Janet and Grace walked up and Janet tugged Charlie's wrist for brotherly attention.

"Ya think?" Jack sniffed and settled into the chair beside Sam.

"Well," he halted. "Let's face it, she's hot! And ya haven't been with anyone since mom . . ."

Jack glared over his shoulder.

"Right. I mean, other than Cass and some of the female base personal you don't talk to women much and . . ."

"You're digging yourself a deep hole, son." Jack warned.

"He always does." Grace giggled, reminding them she was privy to their exchange.

"Brat!" Charlie scowled at her, but the love shining in his brown eyes was for her alone.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Zip it, kids." Jack made eye contact with the oldest as he reached down and lifted Janet into his arms.

"I'm just saying." The young man blushed and shrugged at the pretty occupant of Jack's bed.

"And I appreciate your bald-faced concern," Jack muttered. "But I'm perfectly fine and no blue-eyed, female is going to unhinge me."

"If you say so." Charlie chuckled and left before Jack threw something at him. "Coz, Grace and Janet do it on a daily basis."

Another burst of giggles.

"Irreverent brats." Jack smiled as Charlie left only to start giving orders to the rest of the O'Neill brood in the living room. One would think they were Air Force.

"Um, Dad?" Grace had yet to leave the bedroom.

"What, sunshine?"

"Is she _our_ mother?"

Jack's jaw tightened and he shut his eyes. It'd been an innocent hopeful question, especially from Grace. He couldn't tell her the truth. Not until he knew without a reasonable doubt the woman occupying his bed was their Sam. "No, Honey. She's just a stranger, who needs our help."

"Oh." She sighed out. "But she looks like mom and Teal'c said she's real."

"He did, huh?" Jack tried not to smile. Teal'c bless his heart was the eternal optimist.

"Yep, said she's our mother who the Replicators took long ago, but now she's back and—"

"Grace." Jack said wearily, but she kept on.

"And that she loves you always."

"Whatever," he muttered then softly ordered, "Now go help your brothers and the others fix supper and tell Teal'c to call it a day planting, I need to speak with him before he goes home."

"K." She sounded hurt until he winked and blew her a kiss. "Got-it," she giggled.

"Good, now go share that kiss with everyone else."

Smiling she turned to leave, but said over her shoulder. "Dad, it's not just because she looks like mom. She is mom. I just know it, here." She touched her heart and hurried out of the room.

Expelling a breath past his lips, Jack looked back at the woman beneath the patch-worked quilt. Charlie was right. She was hot! A feral groan escaped him and he peeled the coverlet from off her black leather clad body to her waist. Her cotton briefs and leather pants were being laundered.

She dressed like a biker, but then lots of folks wore leathers, wool or cotton these days. Anything synthetic was not a wise chose. The Replicators were attracted to all things not natural based. Not that they devoured synthetics, but like radar it directed them to metal resources to consume and humans to destroy.

Jack refocused on the long legged woman, who's every minute physical detail he knew by heart. If he could risk it, he'd make sure the mole was in it's 'for his eyes only' spot. But he didn't. She'd lost significant weight and her high cheekbones stood stark against her freckled sunburned complexion. Her facial moles were perfect, one on her left cheek and the other on the right side of her chin. Despite dark circles etching her eyes, she hadn't seemed to age, but then why would she, if she were an Ancient.

Jack closed his eyes and reflected on how three months after Sam's abduction Fifth made another appearance. Okay, not exactly the way it went down. Fifth hijacked Jack. Not even Daniel knew about the incident. And that's why Jack found it harder than ever to forgive himself. He'd made a decision that changed everything, including his wife's fate. Jack traded himself for Samantha, but with the agreement he could say goodbye to his family.

Two days later as promised, Sam was back or so they'd all thought. Fifth tried to pull a fast one and had replaced Sam with another Carter Replicator. Trouble was the Replicarter flaws were a dead giveaway. Such as fake Sam didn't deal well with infants or children, and most obvious with animals. Being rescued as a four-week pup by Sam their dog, Thor, thought she was its mom. That's when Jack knew the truth.

Thankfully they had the newest Replicator Disrupter weapon and without hesitation Teal'c blew the impersonator to kingdom come in front of the children. Jack had a lot of explaining to do. It took months before Grace forgave him or Teal'c. For once, Jack was glad he'd not done the necessary dirty deed.

From the moment all bets were off. With Rodney McKay now heading all things technical they strengthened the present security system for the new headquarters for the SGC. It was primarily based after Atlantis's defense shield. However this shield encompassed a much larger area than Atlantis. Jack also had Maybourne incorporate breeding and training programs for dogs to detect Replicators and Wraith.

The first year after the invasion Jack spent months away from the kids, trying to organize resistance as well as to find Sam. His gut insisted she was on Earth, but Fifth concealed the Replicator's headquarters too well. Physically and emotionally beaten, Jack realized he needed to take care of the living, their children. Sam would have wanted it that way and they'd previously agreed that if one of them were captured or died, their children came first. So that's what Jack did. He compartmented his grieving heart. Some days he wondered if he still had a heart.

Back when project Safe Haven had first been nothing but a pipe dream, Sam suggested that if anything horrific happened to Earth or to either of them, this is where they'd bring the kids. Because here, they were not only safe but had a means of escape Jack had yet to employ because it meant giving up on Sam.

Night and day he prayed Sam would escape and find her way home. This last year an undercover operative's report landed on Jack's desk. Sam had been spotted in D.C. After engaging in conversation the spy believed it was Colonel Carter. Daniel volunteered to follow-up on the report. A week after he arrived in Virginia, he found Sam hiding out in an abandoned brownstone townhouse near the ruins of D.C. Not just any brownstone. It had been Jack's place of residency while he'd managed Homeworld Security. Unfortunately, her memories had been scrambled—a lot.

She believed she was single and had never heard of the Stargate program, let alone the Goa'uld, Jaffa, Replicators, or Wraith until employed with the Pentagon as a civilian scientist the year before the alien's attack. She acknowledged knowing Daniel, but accused him of being a Replicator sent to take her back to Jonas Hanson. One problem, Hanson had died over twenty years ago, swallowed up by the Stargate. Someone had intentionally played scrabble with his wife's brain. Fifth!

Daniel always traveled with a dog from the canine unit. The Golden Retriever had given Sam a thorough sniff job before she and Daniel argued. The dog's friendly reaction proved she was human. She was Sam. Daniel explained the dog would not be with him were he a Replicator. Sam stated she'd been tricked before and that Replicators could now mimic animals. True. A no win situation.

Hence, Sam refused to accompany him and instead fled. Daniel chased her down and got a deep knife slash to his right arm for his efforts. Sam disarmed him and warned that if he touched her again, she'd gut him like a bass. Interesting analogy since Jack had taught her how to do gut fish. Point is Daniel believed her. Jack could picture their volatile encounter. As capable as Daniel was defending himself there'd be no contest, she would have won. So, Sam got away. Daniel put tracking hounds on her scent, but failed to find her. He hung around the unstable city a few more days then returned to tell Jack the bittersweet news.

Although Jack used every resource available there were no more Sam spottings. Daniel agreed not to tell anybody, even Cassandra. That last order had been hard, Jack knew, but he didn't want to raise his children's hopes. For the next few months Jack consistently fought the urge to chuck everything and go after his wife.

Now whether by Fifth or God's hand Sam had been returned to him, but at what cost? He'd remain wary and would not let her into his heart. Not until he knew she hadn't been booby-trapped by Fifth. God help them all. If he sensed any danger toward his family he'd kill her, himself.

Jack focused on the woman in his—their bed. Her golden blonde hair draped her shoulder in a French braid. When Jack fingered the braided hair something stirred his memories and more importantly his heart. "So beautiful," he murmured, "So hot."

Sam's hand slipped off her chest. Jack gulped as his gaze settled on her bosom. Even on her back her breasts jutted out from the leathers. More than a mouthful was a waste, he'd once been told. Not true, he grinned, not true at all. Jack unconsciously traced the curve of her right breast and heard her breath hitch.

Crap! Jack felt a southern stirring, an ache only Sam could instigate to a degree he had trouble maintaining control. Yanking the blanket up to her neck, he pushed away and dragged a shaking hand through his hair.

"This is nuts." He checked her pulse at the base of her neck. It was strong and regular. Jack eased the ice pack from the back of her head and flipped it, so the colder side was against the knob on her head.

"Sure wish I knew whether you're real, Dorothy." He sighed and gently trailed his hand across her bruised right cheek. He'd previously checked her backpack, but found no identification. Not that it mattered now days. No one cared. "Umm," she hoarsely murmured and leaned into the palm of his hand, trapping it between her face and the pillow.

"Och!" The heat of her soft cheek almost unraveled him. Man, he'd not felt like this since he and Sam had—It'd been so long! Too long! He yanked his hand away and rose from his chair when her eyes fluttered open.

"Who—are—you? Where?" she slurred. The fear in her eyes kept him anchored.

"Supper's ready!" Charlie yelled from the kitchen.

"Okay," Jack called back then looked at the outlander. "Maybe I should be asking you that?" He decided to play dumb. Besides, dumb he could do.

She touched her head and the ice pack behind it then winced. "I'm . . ."

"Yes?" He urged settling back into the winged-back chair beside her. He leaned forward to peer upon her confused expression. One he rarely saw on his Samantha.

"Horse?" She cleared her throat and did that Turtle Dove thingy with her chin. That expression he knew all too well. Jack's defenses lowered.

"Yeah." He nodded regretfully. "Sorry 'bout that. I'd jumped the wall and didn't see you until it was too late."

"Oh." She groaned and closed her blue eyes.

"Hey!" he gently shook her. "Stay with me, huh? You got a nasty concussion. Doc will be here in the morning to check you out."

"Doc?" She blinked several times as if trying to focus. "Janet?"

"No. Now how many fingers am I holding?" He held two.

"Three--four," she sighed out. "Feel sick . . . " She clenched her stomach.

"Not good." He frowned and leaned forward.

Teal'c entered the bedroom. "She is awake, O'Neill?" He strolled over and turned up the gas lantern on the bedside table, chasing away the shadows of the darkened room.

"Yeah, but seeing double with a belly ache." He'd spent too much time around kids.

"Indeed. Seeing two of you could make any woman—"

Sam gagged and spewed over Jack's blue jeans and bare feet.

"Crap!" He glared at Teal'c, then back at her.

"Sorry." She moaned and flopped back on the bed wiping her soiled mouth.

Jack flashed back to the umpteen times Sam had morning sickness and her once monumental drunk at O'Malley's. He always got initiated. Some things never changed.

"She is Tau'ri, O'Neill?"

"Doh," sarcasm laced his voice. "Unless the Replicators have created a biologically correct version. Which means all those little bitsy pieces of undigested food and stomach fluid are bugs!"

"Ew!" JJ walked in and stared at his dad's vomit stained clothes, "Gross! I can smell it way out here."

Jack shuddered and then glanced at his guest, who looked deathly pale. "Something tells me she won't be eating Charlie's stew, son."

"Me either!" JJ gagged and went for towels to clean up the mess.

"And I believe, Colonel Samantha O'Neill is finally home." Teal'c arched his dark brows and smiled.

"Yeah, that'd be sweet, T, absolutely sweet." More than ever, Jack wanted to believe. However, looking down at the blonde angel in his bed he sensed a demon in disguise.

There was reason his gut ached and it wasn't gas.

End of Chapter Eight


	9. Chapter 9

**Never Say Never**

**Chapter Nine**

Sam snuggled into the strong warm arms of her dream lover. The patter of rain on the roof and soft glow of an oil lamp from the bedside table wakened her. Lying on her side she shifted her head, the headache had eased. When she focused on the lamp she only saw one. That aside, she remained clueless as to who she was, let alone where. Wherever this was, electricity was not part of the package.

She shifted and fingered the oversized flannel shirt covering her naked body. Okay, this was strange or not? And then she felt him. Felt his forearm tighten about her ribs beneath her breasts, and urge her back against his naked muscled chest, so they spooned. A similar scenario flickered across the windmills of her mind. Sam stiffened, but didn't pull away when his long muscular leg draped across her hip and locked itself in place. Amazing how they fit together. Sam felt a brief's covered, male groin press into her lower back and almost lost it. Not because of fear, but because the flaccid body part attached to that groin stirred feeling in her long suppressed. She'd not known a man intimately in years. Her mind searched for recollection and for one frightening moment she remembered the painful shame of being raped, but that vanished. Somehow, she knew that horrible experience wasn't associated with this man or place.

Sam became aware minute things. His leg hairs were not coarse, but pleasurable soft against her skin to the point it almost tickled. His breath fanned her ear and she could detect the scent of menthol cigarettes. She had an immediate memory overload of a conversation with a faceless man. She felt intense love for him but she was upset he'd start to smoke.

"I thought you quit smoking!"

"Did. But this pregnancy has me unnerved."

"Well smoking's not going to help our baby or your lungs, Scarecrow."

"Hey, they're menthol lights."

"So?"

"They're less addictive."

"Oh, pleeze!"

"Hey, could be worse. My poisons of choice are Camels, Marlboros, Winstons—even better, a nasty Cuban cigar."

She snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Excuse me. What's so funny?"

"You're smoking sissy cigs." She hugged herself laughing. "It just, well, I never . . .," she guffawed. "Man, wish we had a camera. Oh, wait we do!" She motioned to go get it.

"Nice to know you're easily amused." He'd sounded sardonic.

"Only by my bad-ass General. Now hand over that pack of poison."

"No!" he whined.

"Fine. Then'll I'll email everyone at the Pentagon, including the President and tell them you smoke sissy cigs."

"You wouldn't."

"Would."

"Carter!"

"What?"

"I'm tossing the cigs." She watched him pitch the pack in the garbage.

"For good?"

"Fine. I won't light up again unless . . ."

"What?" she countered.

"You ever leave me, Dorothy."

"Deal, Scarecrow. 'Sides, I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me for always."

"Sweet."

Sam blinked and opened her eyes. Was that her memory? She'd no idea. And who was this man who coincidently smoked menthols. Sam discerned that they shared a pillow and then realized his left arm was bent beneath the feather-filled cushion, his fingers interlaced with hers, while her head inclined on his comfortable shoulder. Her bed partner nuzzled his bristled jaw against the back of her neck. It tickled. She tried not to laugh, or move.

"Sleep," he murmured against her earlobe, then kissed her pulse point. The brush of his dry lips against her skin sent a delicious shock wave right to her womanhood. Sam commanded her body to not respond. His grip eased and the rhythm of his hot moist breath caressing her skin turned into a soft masculine snore that seemed as right and familiar as being in this king size goose-down covered bed.

She felt like she was floating on a cloud and the man holding her possessively . . . her mind reached out as if . . .this was foolish, but she thought to hear him speak in her head. Such idiotic thoughts she had. Again there was something identifiable about this situation. She remembered the handsome rugged face of the man who'd she'd awakened to find at her beside. This must be him.

Masculine, she sighed in her thoughts. Even though she couldn't see his face, she knew from the skin that caressed hers, there was nothing soft about this man. He was lean, long limbed and muscular. Feeling safe in his embrace, Sam decided tomorrow would be soon enough to discover the identity of the man holding her as if she were delicate porcelain. Besides that, it'd been so long since she'd slept in a real bed snuggled beneath layers of warm down comforters. Everything felt and smelled identifiable, especially the scent of the man holding her. As sleep enveloped her, Sam thought, there's no place like home, no place like home.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSss

Sam smelled bacon. Impossible. Rolling over, she yawned and stretched, then realized the male occupant had left. Still she wasn't alone. Slowly cracking her eyelids, she focused on two small bodies in the oversized bed. One attached to either side of her.

A child nestled against Sam's chest. She glanced down and spotted curly brown hair and the cutest feminine face ever. On the other side of the girl was a boy with spiky brown hair, who appeared somewhat younger, but bearing similar facial features but with freckles. Sam's left foot poked out from the sheets and received wet licks. It couldn't be! She focused as the large German Shepard mix stretched the width of the bed, lifted a lazy eyelid, looked at her and gave her foot another slobber.

"Thor!" she announced, waking everyone in the bed as she shot upright. Sam fell backward when the dog leaped on top of her, all one-hundred-plus pounds of well-fed canine. "Ouch!"

The girl nuzzled up against Sam woke-up as did the boy. They gazed at her with the largest eyes ever, but neither appeared disturbed or frightened. One pair blue the other the darkest brown.

"Daddy, she's up." The brown-eyed boy announced rubbing the sleep from his eyes and stretching out alongside Sam while petting the dog's head.

"About fricking time." The man answered in a familiar tenor and a few seconds later he stepped into the room.

Pushing Thor off of her, Sam's turned her head toward the masculine voice. Her mouth dropped open at the tall, lean man occupying the doorway. Her handsome _silver fox_ lived, but not exactly as she'd imagined. Dressed in worn knee-holed jeans and a paint splattered white t-shirt, he held a wiggling toddler and a batter-caked spatula. And he was barefoot. Big feet. Hmm, that meant . . .

"How ya feeling?" He adjusted the child against his tilted hip as if it were second nature.

"Okay," she whispered hoarsely. "I guess." Her gaze fixed on the toddler trying to grab the spatula from the man's hand.

"Hey, kids." Jack addressed the wide-eyed children looking at her like she had broccoli between her teeth. "Chows on. Blueberry pancakes." He waggled his dark brows.

"Cool." The boy chortled as he and the girl kissed Sam's cheek, hopped off the bed and tugged up oversized pj's. They raced on the slick hardwood floor toward the silver-haired man, who dodged them with fluid steps. "Careful." He warned, but appeared unruffled by their antics.

"Um, sorry about that." He walked into the bedroom. "It's a communal bed." He gestured with the spatula. Batter went flying. He didn't notice or seemed not to care. "Just be thankful they didn't invade it first thing last night."

"Oh," was all she could muster as he ambled closer and the child turned in his arms to look at her.

Sam's breath hitched as she looked upon the adorable toddler with unmanageable brown hair and deep brown eyes. "Boy or girl?"

"Which one?" He grinned.

"Huh." She pointed at the child in his arms. Strange images flashed before her mind's eyes. Someone leaning over her telling her the babies needed more oxygen. Sam shuddered and shoved the images aside.

"Oh, this one," He kissed the mound of brownish curls. "Last I checked a boy, the other's a girl."

"Other?" Sam began to tremble and felt nauseas.

"Yeah." He settled on the edge of the bed and perched the toddler on his lap. "They're fraternal twins and will be two and half next week." He looked at her as if she should know that.

"Twins?" She sunk back into the bed, clutching the shirtfront she realized had gapped open, which he did not seem to notice. Or he did a good job hiding the fact. By his deadpan expression, she sensed he had that special black ops quality of someone about to slit her throat. Trouble was she'd never know until it was too late. Black Ops? What had made her think of that?

"This is Jacob." The toddler hung possessively onto his father, then grinned displaying a mouthful of baby teeth. "Sometimes we call him, Jake."

"Brown and blue eyed kids, huh." She offered up, wanting to touch the child, but holding back.

"Yeah runs in the family. But we sorta evened out, your dad had brown eyes like me." He snapped his jaw shut.

"Yes, he did. You know who I am?"

"Yeah. But do you?" He let Jacob lick the remaining batter off the spatula. The toddler made a gleeful sound as he tried to shove the object into his small mouth. His antics made Sam smile and something knotted inside her belly. A maternal ache she didn't think she possessed.

Sam hugged her hurting head with her hands and nodded. "My name is Samantha Carter. I was a major in the USAF. Well, when there was an Air Force."

"You were a full colonel." He stated with authority.

"What?"

"You'd retired, Sam, nearly six years ago and worked as a civilian scientist. Well that is until the invasion and we were both reactivated."

"No, I was always active, well okay, I went civilian and worked at the Pentagon awhile. But I'm no full colonel. And you are?"

"Jack O'Neill." His lips compressed, brows furrowed and the dent between his brows dug deep as those dark chestnut eyes stared, as if willing her to remember. Something told her this man was used to getting his way, no matter what. One problem, she couldn't remember why or what he wanted her to know.

"So that's supposed to mean something to me, you or your name?" She lied of course, as she knew from Daniel this was the _Jack O'Neill_. She just didn't know he was married or had kids. So why did news make her jealous?

"Hell, Sam! Don't you recognize me?"

"No!" She jerked back at his vulgar tone.

"Crap!" When he dragged a splayed hand through his short-cropped hair, her gaze fastened on his long calloused fingers. She was surprised that his nails appeared clipped and clean. She shivered when an unexpected tingle of pleasure gripped her womanhood as if remembering the intimate touch those fingers . . .

"Mummy." Jacob extended his short pudgy arms to her and squirmed to leave Jack's lap.

"Oy Vey!" Jack's Adam apple bobbed and he sounded surprised but calmer. "I didn't think he'd remember this soon."

"Remember what?" she forced out and the toddler bounded onto the bed, encircled her neck and starred into her eyes, then gave her a pancake batter kiss on her chinbone. Stunned, Sam pulled back and looked into the toddler's trusting brown gaze. Something snapped inside her. An emotional pain that caused her muscles to go taut. The boy leaned forward again and to her utter shock pressed his mouth against her lips and blew into her. Startled she inhaled then eased the child off her. A dizzy sensation washed through her. Her spine tingled. Fragmented images raced through her mind.

"Mummy home." Jacob grinned at her then back at Jack, nodding.

O'Neill's smile flat-lined but he said nothing as he seemed to observe her for some reaction. Not everyday, however innocent, a child kissed her.

Jack stood up and called out, "Hey, T, come here."

His tone made Sam blanche. She knew that voice and the name he'd spoken, T. More confused, she eased from the toddler's grip and handed him back to Jack O'Neill.

Jacob began to whimper. "Mummy!" He tried to get back to her.

Confused and emotionally unhinged by the child's insistence to call her mommy, Sam shook her head and tossed off the covers. She spotted the bathroom and needed to get away. "I'm sorry, but I'm not his mom. I don't have a husband or kids. And I need to umm, pee," her words froze as a large muscled black man entered the room. Sam's gaze riveted on the gold tattoo in the center of his forehead. She'd seen that before, seen him, but where?

"Good morning, Samantha." He tipped his dark haired head as he took little Jacob from Jack. "I am pleased to see you recovering from your fall."

"And you are?"

"You do not remember me, Samantha O'Neill?" Jacob traced the tattoo on the man's brow and giggled, obviously at home in the larger man's embrace.

"No."

His full-lipped smile faded. "That is indeed unfortunate." He ran a comforting wide palm down the child's back then gazed at Jack. "You have not told her, O'Neill?"

"We just started talking—" Jack winced.

"O'Neill, again?" Sam swung her legs over the bed. "You're the one_ 'he'_ sent me to locate."

"Crap!" Without another word Jack hurried passed the giant called Teal'c and left. The toddler squirmed in the black man's arms and looked at Sam with the hurtful eyes of one far older than a two-year-old.

"Dadda," the child whined. Teal'c set Jacob on the floor and the toddler tottered in the direction Jack had gone. Sam watched with mixed emotions. Something strong and powerful drew her toward the child and she actually felt upset when he'd fled the room.

"What was that about?" She eased her bare feet to the hard wood floor and the warm rag rug that covered it.

"I fear your presence might endanger us all, Samantha." Teal'c stood with his arms folded behind his back as he stared at her with an intimidating scowl. "I hope I am mistaken."

"Why? You all act as if you know me." She gestured to where Jack had been standing. "Even the baby."

"Indeed." He reached out and assisted her to her feet. "You are Samantha Carter-O'Neill, and Jack is your husband and these wonderful children are blessings of your union. There are six in all."

"Six! No way would I have six children!" Sam gulped as she shuffled into the adjoining bathroom. "You gotta be kidding!"

"I do not kid, Samantha. You have been gone over two years."

"That's a lie!" She slammed the door in his face and finding the toilet she used it, then sat there shaking, sensing she was going to puke.

A few minutes passed and Teal'c asked through the door, "How are you fairing, Samantha?"

"What do you think?" When he didn't answer, she gazed at the open window and the breeze blowing through. She could hear children's voices and laughter and then that of the man named Jack. She wobbled to the window and peered out realizing she was on a second floor. Below, two horses with riders trotted up the gravel drive to the house and halted. A man and woman dismounted. With the morning sun in her eyes, Sam couldn't discern the brown haired man's face but his voice sounded familiar. A younger man in his early twenties greeted them with hugs. The woman of a tall and slender build removed a blue handkerchief scarf and shoulder length auburn hair tumbled down her back.

Sam was about to step away when the woman glanced up at the window and stared at her. Sam's heart jammed into her chest wall. Dark brown eyes stared at her, haunting eyes that matched those of Jack O'Neill. Cassandra! Janet's daughter? No—no, that wasn't right either. Her daughter! Her and Jack's first born! Charlie-Chuck their Retu child. Grace and JJ!

And then she'd given birth again . . ."We've got twins, Sam! A boy and girl!" Jack held the squirming newborn infants and settled them against her breasts so they could suckle and bond. Sam saw the pride and joy in his dark brown eyes and felt his immense love. "They're beautiful like their mother, Samantha," he lisped softly, making sure each child had latched onto her.

"And hungry like their dad," she chided as she felt their strong suckling attempts. Her right hand fluttered across Jack's jaw, feeling his lips press against them and then upward to the scar of his left brow before she habitably finger combed his unruly silver hair.

Together they kissed the crown of each child, bonding with them as a mother and father and as an Ancients, knowing nothing could break that maternal tie especially once . . .Sam was suppose to exchange breath with each child, but refused. She made Jack take the newborns. She'd kissed her husband goodbye. Bright lights flashed, burned her eyes. Her babies wailed. Jack yelled and then nothing but a dark void. Then _he_ came.

"Welcome home, Sam." Fifth smiled evilly as she was held prisoner within the ship's gray metallic walls. "I said I'd come back for you and get even with O'Neill for stealing you from me. I have done so. Now you must decide if I let the Wraith destroy Earth or not. The decision is yours."

Thrown forward in time, Sam stumbled away from the window, knocking over the wastebasket and slumped against the bathtub.

"Colonel O'Neill!" Teal'c forced open the bathroom door and was at her side.

Sam's head felt like a melon ready to blow. She remembered! She was home. She was Mrs. Jonathon James O'Neill!

End of Chapter Nine


	10. Chapter 10

**Never Say Never **

**Chapter Ten**

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"Mom?" Cassandra smoothed a cool rag across Sam's flushed cheeks.

Sam's lashes fluttered and she opened her tired eyes. "Cass?"

"Yep!" Cassandra grinned down at her. "It's me. Daniel's here. Hey?" she called over her shoulder, "she's awake."

Daniel came into view hands resting in an intimate way on her daughter's shoulders. Why? Sam took in his scruffy beard and the touch of gray at the temples. He looked older, but those blue eyes twinkling down at her were Daniel Jackson's. This was the man she'd seen five months ago in D.C., the man she'd mistaken for a Replicator.

"Well, look who the cat dragged in." He reached down and caressed her cheek.

"Daniel?" Sam pushed up into a sitting position. Her hand found his and found strength in his secure touch.

"Hey, I think we're making headway here." He winked from behind his glasses.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you." She looked at his right forearm that was hidden by a faded, long-sleeved, green BDU shirt.

"It's long healed." He shrugged.

Sam blinked and tried to restrain her tears. "Where's Janet?"

"Right here, Mom." Grace walked in carrying the blue-eyed toddler that was most definitely a girl.

"Mummy." The adorable bundle in Grace's arms reached for Sam.

Sam balked at the eager toddler. "No, I mean Doctor Janet Fraiser?" She looked at each of them and then at Daniel who was no longer smiling.

"Okay, I think we need to back peddle a bit, guys, I mean gals." He shared an agreeable look with Cassandra.

"Ya think?" Sam said watching their mouths drop ajar. She gave an equally confused look. "Wha—t? It's an expression, right?"

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Janet was dead! It took Sam by surprise. Yet soon as Daniel shared his agony of being with Janet that fatal day, Sam realized that what she wanted to believe so badly was not true. She then relived almost losing Jack. Goa'uld death gliders everywhere! She saw him get hit and fall onto his back, fingers of smoke drifting from his body armor. The heart wrenching experience of leaning over him and as he laid still on the grassy field, seemed real. She'd felt her world end, felt total despair. There was so much crap separating them and now he was dead or dying and she'd not told him. Not said, what'd been on her heart for so long. As she felt the faintness of his pulse, she'd bent over and whispered, "Damnit, sir, don't you die on me! I love you, Jack!"

Sam hitched a shaky breath. She had been married to Jack O'Neill for over twenty years since a wedding on Chulak when they were still SG-1. Wasn't that breaking the regs? _A little late to worry about now, Sam._ They had six children ranging in age from thirty-one to two and half. Wow! Talk about a shock to the maternal system. Sam was still absorbing the details but as she did, she remembered more. More importantly wanted to. She spent much of the day re-bonding with the kids, especially the twins. The only one she didn't see or speak with was Jack.

Daniel explained Jack needed space and had responsibilities to attend to. What those duties involved she had no idea and knew her friend and family were keeping something important from her, especially when she asked if this was the location of the infamous last outpost known as Safe Haven. Even Grace and JJ wouldn't give her a direct answer. She had to give Jack credit. His—their kids were loyal to him. Sam needed to regain his trust and find out why she'd been missing for over two years. Most of all, she wanted to be Mrs. Jack O'Neill.

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"_We're caught in a trap, I can't walk out, Because I love you too much baby._

_Why can't you see, What you're doing to me When you don't believe a word I say?_

_We can't go on together With suspicious minds And we can't build our dreams On suspicious minds . . ."_

The sun had long set but soft security lightening illuminated the area surrounding the cabin. Jack had arrived out of nowhere around suppertime.

He smelled of fresh air and silage. He donned a good front for their children but Sam knew he felt uncomfortable around her. His hands were always in motion and he'd downed two bottles of beer during the meal. Sam had maybe lost her memory, but knew liquor was a rare treat now days. Daniel told Cassandra to chill that Jack had a lot on his plate. Sam suspected she filled most of his plate.

Soon as the meal was finished he played and chatted with the kids then excused himself. When Jack went to the cellar for a third beer, Cassandra nagged at him. Third beer in hand, he said nothing and went outside. Cassandra then told Sam that Jack had hit the bottle hard after Sam's abduction then, like most of his bad habits, he'd gone cold turkey.

That'd been two hours ago. Sam recalled that like her, their kids had always been Jack's main focus. She suspected that hadn't changed until she'd dropped in yesterday. Grace was disturbed by her father's avoidance. Sam decided to find out what bug was up his assets.

"Jack?" Sam hesitantly stepped onto the small dock in her cold bare feet, chafing them against each from the walk through the wet grass. She should have put on shoes, but she'd longed to feel real grass beneath her feet. Whatever caused her to think that? She set her focus back on Jack.

A delicate finger of cigarette smoke wafted skyward. So he did smoke—guess he was a man of his word. She left. He started smoking.

"What?" he asked harshly, but not before she saw him swipe a hand across his eyes. One thing she distinctly remembered, Jack O'Neill rarely cried and when he had, it'd been in her arms.

She didn't answer. Sam stared at the rugged beauty of the man standing with his back to her and the soft glow of the cigarette's embers when he inhaled. She decided now wasn't the time to nag about lung cancer.

At his side set a tattered lawn chair and fishing pole. He'd been in the chair a few hours and as if sensing her approach stood and started packing-up the fishing gear. She noted a bucket with six good-sized bass. Another memory surfaced.

Jack stood in the corridor of the SGC wearing tanned kakis, a white shirt and his black leather jacket. He'd turned and grinned at her. "Last chance, Carter – Bass grow this big," he'd stretched out his long arms. "Land of sky blue waters, mosquitoes, snookums . . . " And he'd vanished in a streak of bright light.

Sam blinked and found herself in present time. She trembled as she regained her bearings. The flashbacks were so real, so unnerving. It took another few moments before she felt certain she wouldn't be propelled into the precedent again, she hoped.

In this time line, Jack wore the tattered jeans he'd had on this morning but an opened blue-checked flannel shirt, its sleeves jammed up his tanned forearms.

A memory wearing that same flannel shirt with no other clothing underneath the flannel popped into her head. Jack hugged her to his hard lean body and huskily said, "It looks way better on you, Carter." Then he kissed her and the shirt slid to the floor. "And you look way better without it. You're so hot!"

Sam blinked and focused on him. The t-shirt was tucked at his waist, but the jeans hung loser than she recalled. There was gauntness to his weathered features. Then again, it'd been a rough time according to Daniel and the kids. Almost three years. Was that possible? Her last memory other than when the twins were born was when Grace was nine going on ten, and JJ seven or had he been eight? And something about being beamed up by Thor and then nothing.

"Jack, the kids are asking questions I can't answer. They want you inside." She stepped close enough to see his face and hands.

"I know." He refused to look at her and skipped a stone across the smooth dark water, then padded his pockets for another cancer stick. She watched as he found the mangled empty packet then pitched it into the bait bucket. He cursed about needing a smoke. She saw his hands tremble and she ached for what she'd put him through. To know she was the cause of his suffering.

"I'm sorry." She took a step closer and touching his shoulder. He flinched and her heart shattered.

"Not your fault, Carter, ya had no way of knowing," he said in a tone she recalled from when she'd let the Replicarter escape from the Alpha site.

"Yes it is." She refused to deny it any longer.

"Like hell it is!" He turned and glared. "I made the decision to leave Fifth behind and he's used you and now our family to punish me! Far as I'm concerned the invasion, everything has been for his revenge against me."

Sam snorted.

"What?"

"You think this," she gestured to condition of their world. "Is just about you and me? Pride truly doeth come before the fall." She shook her head in regret.

"Fine! It's also about the Replicator and Wraiths need to survive in their own sick perverted ways. But let me also refresh your memory, Carter. You took my place when it was me he'd come for all along."

"You'd be dead if I hadn't."

"Rather me than the twins."

"No. He'd promised he'd leave them with you. And he did."

Hands windmilling, he went off on one of his tongue-twisting tantrums. "Well, I don't know what all you know, but know this."

"Huh?" Sam was trying to wrap her head around Jack's flurry of words when he stepped into her personal space. She took a step back. He followed.

"After your abduction bug eyes abducted me and said if I came with him, he'd let you go."

"He—he did?" She gaped.

"Yeah, ya sure yabetcha." His Minnesota accent sounded. "But true to Fifth's unnatural nature, he tricked me. He sent a Replicator in your place. Teal'c blew it away with the Disburser cannon—in front of the kids." Jack had her pressed against one of the dock's support posts. She felt the weathered splinters dig into her back.

"I—I didn't know." She didn't. She shut her eyes and breathed in. She could feel, smell his cigarette breath against her face. On anyone else Sam hated the smell but this was Jack and darned if it didn't kick up her attraction.

"Why'd he let you go?" he asked against her temple.

"Don't know. I don't even remember being with him." She shrugged. "Maybe I escaped." She stared up into his precarious gaze.

"Right." He tossed his hands in the air and turned back to the lake. "Or he let you escape. Ferrcryin'outloud! We're overrun with Replicators and Wraith. They've made a truce ya know. It's just a matter of time before they wipe out the last of the Resistance."

"Which you lead." She stepped away from the post and realized her limbs were shaking, she felt as if she had sea legs.

His head snapped around and he had that deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression that any other time would have made her smile.

"Daniel and Teal'c told me."

"Those boneheads." He didn't trust her! What must she do to convince otherwise?

"Don't worry they didn't give away any top secrets."

He sniffed and scratched his lower back. "Whatever."

"You think Fifth planted a device in my head? You think I'm a spy or Zanarc?"

"I don't know what to think." He shoved by to walk toward the cabin, but Sam blocked him. "Especially about you."

"Holy Hannah, Jack! I thought you loved me."

"Yeah, well shit happens. People change. And if you are the Sam Carter I married, you'd understand why there's no way in Netu I can trust you. Just 'coz it waddles and quacks like a duck don't mean squawk." He glared to where her hand pinned his shirt's sleeve. She let go. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got four kids to tuck into bed."

Sam nodded and watched him limp across the lawn. His knee must be acting up again. She should get the ointment and ice . . .she stiffened as more memories flooded back. Why would his knee bother if he were an Ancient? Because after he'd injured it five years ago he'd chosen not to heal it in order to feel human!

"Wait?"

"What?" He halted and jamming his hands into his front pockets cocked his silvery head her way. That familiar pose stopped her heart. How many times had he looked at her that way? Hundreds? Thousands?

Sam found her voice. "You think Homer Simpson should be president, love double chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream, have a red handmade yoyo I gave you fifteen years ago, love hockey and have an autographed Wayne Gretsky's hockey puck and—"

"And what?" He glared with those penetrating brown eyes.

Digging deeper she took a few steps toward him. "You prefer red Jell-O to blue, eat Jell-O and ice cream with a fork. Um, something about a crossword puzzle bet. Love opera and classical music, play guitar, sing only for me and the kids and our lovers song is . . .darn, what was it?"

"Yes?" his tone now hopeful he stared at her.

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow." She snapped her fingers.

"Wrong." He turned away.

Sam swore. "Wait. That was the first song you ever sang to me, Scarecrow."

That caused him to halt mid-stride and face her. She watched his rugged features tense up, his brow furrow, while his lean mouth didn't quite shut. It rarely did, she recalled. He flipped his left palm up and gestured toward her, "When?"

"Don't know," she confessed and watched him walk, as she stood barefoot on the chilling damp grass. "We'd been abducted—to-to mate by a Goa'uld named Nirrti. We bonded and fell in love. We created Grace. You were still married to Sara."

That made him halt. She heard him sniff. "Anything else?" He started to walk away.

"Central America, someone tried to rape me, but you stopped them . . .arm wrestling and the safest bet I'd ever make." The words tumbled out of her mouth in confusion. "Oh, a White House Halloween party. Striker and Shimmer . . ." She looked desperately at him. "You're Striker. I'm Shimmer."

She thought to see a flicker of light in his eyes, a twitch to his iron-board mouth. "Yes." A less-cynical affirmation. He headed back toward the house, his long legged stride expanding their distance.

"I know this sounds crazy." She hurried after him. "You helped my mother deliver me in an elevator, something about the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. You were um a teenager."

"Ah." He paused. Silence trickled by as she waited, trying to think of something else of relevance. Well, the very idea her husband had delivered her was just plain warped, a figment of her imagination, right? No wonder he wouldn't talk to her. She was one sick bimbo.

"Coming with?" he tossed over his shoulder with a warmer tenor that she recalled hearing in her head so often.

"Huh?"

"Ya deaf, Carter?" he'd switched back to annoyance.

"Not deaf. And I'm not coming _with_ unless I'm wanted," she said with a snip as she ventured to within a few inches of his stance.

"The kids want you." He turned and shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked on the balls of his bare feet. "God Almighty help you, Carter, if you're linked to Fifth, if you hurt them," his voice dropped to a deadly calm that sent a shiver down her spine. He leaned into her, "I'll snap your neck like a dry twig." He stalked into their house and slammed the porch door.

Knowing he meant it, Sam tapped down her respectful dread. God, help her? God, help them all? Somehow, someway, she would get her family back and win over the heart of the man she loved more than life itself, Jack O'Neill.

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"Why haven't you acted?" Replicarter angrily asked Fifth.

"It is not yet time." He shrugged and turned off his internal link with Sam. "Besides I don't want O'Neill to discover us."

"He will you know."

"Yes, but not until it's too late."

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**Five Days Later: **

"So, if an old friend I know Drops by to say hello Would I still see suspicion in your eyes?

"Here we go again Asking where I've been You can't see these tears are real I'm crying . . ."

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Sam couldn't sleep. Because Jack hadn't slept with her since the first night was a good part of her restlessness. Not that she slept alone. No, the twins had warmed their way into her heart and bed. Sam wanted, desired to learn everything she could about Jacob and Janet. She longed to recapture the two and half years of bonding she'd lost with them. They were so unique. The first time she saw Janet elevate across the living room, she almost hyperventilated, not to mention she could light a candle with the flick of her hand. Cass assured Sam, that the toddler got punished whenever she played with fire.

Then Sam caught Jacob levitating and spinning the chess pieces of Jack's chess set. Sam flashed back to when Cassandra had done the same thing with as Jack called them, horses. Magnets my eye! Fortunately that was the extent of their Ancient gifts—for now. She could only imagine what adulthood would bring.

Presently they were cuddled in the king size bed on Jack's side, looking like innocent babes. Sam also knew that at some point one if not both would find their way to where Jack's slept on the leather sofa in the living room. The consolation was that she'd awaken to find Grace, Jacob or both in bed with her. The O'Neill bed was definitely communal where their kids were concerned. Sam relinquished that if she had to forfeit having her husband sleep with her, she could deal as long as the kids were around.

These last five days revealed so much to Sam. For one, her children loved her unconditionally. Daniel and Teal'c although cautious, as to what they divulged, seemed to genuinely care about her. Dare she call it brotherly love? Not yet. She knew they'd no reason to trust her, but gave her more latitude emotionally that Jack. Oh, he talked to her when the children were present, even put on a façade that he cared, but she knew differently.

A force field of suspicion stood between them. Regarding her loyalties and whether she was an advanced Replicator or just royally screwed up. Sam felt human, but had doubts. She'd analyzed every possibility. Jack was right. If their roles were reversed, she'd not trust him either. And if he didn't know whose side she was on, how could he possibly let down his emotional guard? It didn't help that Jack remained emotionally reticent. Okay, that was overstated. Twenty years ago he'd had so many walls she'd not known which one he hid behind. That had changed, right? To watch him with the children one saw the real Jack O'Neill. The little boy who wanted not only to play, but to love and be loved unconditionally. They'd had that once, or so she sensed.

Yesterday, Sam found artwork the kids had drawn and painted. Sam recalled how while still leading SG-1, Jack had encouraged grade school kids to use art to express themselves. No doubt a connection to his first son Charlie's love of painting.

JJ and Grace's were amazingly talented. Many of their pictures included Jack being Jack. Playing ball with the kids, riding a horse, fishing, tussling with the kids or in full dress blues with the title General O'Neill. It was obvious they knew the difference between their dad and what he did to save the world.

The pictures that grabbed Sam's heart had her in them as well. A series of drawings by Grace brought Sam to tears and rattled her memory bank. Dressed in black t-shirts and BDU pants, she and Jack stood face-to-face with a blue line between them. The background was painted in gold.

These pictures were literally minute frames of when she and Jack were on Apophis' ship. She'd gotten trapped on the other side of the force field just minutes before the ship was to explode from C4. One picture showed Jack slamming an object against the force field. Sam remembered that incident as if it were yesterday. Emotions sluiced over her like a tidal wave. She'd been about to die and he wouldn't leave her.

Jack repeatedly beat on the control panel then applied his frustration to the force field. His face contorted with emotion driven intensity.

"Sir, just go!"

"No!" Sweat streamed over his tensed face he stood up and faced her. They held each other's gazes. No words were needed.

Sam cocked her head and extended her open hand just shy of the force field. "Please, Jack, save yourself?"

Mimicking her action with his right hand, he shook his head. "No." His ebony brown eyes bathed her with devoted love. He was about to die with her, for her. This was unconditional love. This Jack O'Neill was the man she had fallen in love with so long ago.

Grace approached Sam from behind and said softly in her ear, "Sometimes I see things from your and dad's past."

Yanked back to the present, Sam quickly swiped at her tears and sniffed. She didn't want her daughter to see her cry.

"Has he seen these?"

"No. He'd be upset. But that's what I see when I look at him now. Even though you're back, he can't break down the wall that keeps you from being together. Dad's afraid, Mom."

"I know, honey." Sam turned and drew the young teenager into her arms. "So am I."

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Her eyes watering Sam released that bittersweet memory. Easing her arm out from under Jacob's possessive hold, she slipped out of bed and stood up, pondering what to do with her pent-up energy. It was almost 0200 hours and her brain wouldn't shut down. Yawning she padded to the bedroom window and pushed back the curtain. This window faced the barn that was about 60 yards from the house. Sam saw the flash of the transport rings. Someone had either left or arrived.

She heard the cabin's front door open then shut and a few seconds later saw Jack amble across the yard toward the barn. He walked at a sluggish gait. She' noticed he'd been favoring his right shoulder and arching his back the last two days. When she inquired, he'd muttered, that he was no spring chicken anymore, and he'd deal.

As Jack stepped into the barn Sam surmised it was too soon for Charlie to get off duty. So who had arrived at this odd time? She'd determined the transport rings in the house were only used during the daytime or emergencies. She recognized evidence of a working covert base all around her. Where was the question? She'd found Jack's duty roster in plain sight on the refrigerator. She'd been not been surprised by the names. But Maybourne! So far, she'd not seen the man who would be king.

Curious, Sam threw on her jeans, sweater and jogging shoes, hurried down the stairs and out the back door instead of the front. She stealthy made her across the lawn to the illuminated pole barn. The side door was open and she stepped inside. Once there, she allowed her eyes to adjust to the lanterns dusty glow. She heard voices. One was Jack's, the other that of a woman's carried across to her.

One of the horses whinnied at Sam's arrival and she pressed tight against a stall and held her breath. The voices stilled then started again. The woman giggled followed by Jack's hearty laughter. She couldn't remember the last time she'd heard that carefree laugh. And just who had instigated it? Sam's blood pressure soared and her nails dug into her palms.

Relying on military finesse, she maneuvered among straw bales, stalls and equipment until she was a few yards away. She'd hoped it was Cassandra, but would have recognized her daughter's voice. Sam peered between two hay bales and saw the back of Jack's silver head. She couldn't see the woman straight on, but did glimpse long curly auburn hair. Sam experienced da ja vu, but couldn't remember why.

"You're exactly what I needed tonight," he said softly.

"I aim to please, Jack." The woman replied with a sexy lilt.

"Then get on with the pleasing part, wilya." He removed his shirt and Sam saw the ripple of his back muscles, the lean compaction of his biceps. Her husband had the body of man half his age. Apparently, being Ancient had benefits. And he was about to have sex. Sam's gut hit the floor and she turned away. Her heart thudded painfully. She felt sick.

"Now lay down, roll over and don't move, General."

"Okay, let's get this done. I can't stand it anymore. I've been aching for days."

"Believe me, Jack, when I'm done with you, you'll feel like a new man."

"New man, ya say?" Jack groaned.

"Absolutely."

"Aa-ah."

"So I found the spot?"

"Excellent. You haven't lost your touch. Ohh, yeah, just like that, Kerry . . ."

Kerry? The Kerry Johnson, Jack's former lover? Sam began to shake. Part of her wanted to storm the couple and catch them in the act. The rational part though, couldn't blame Jack for gratifying his sexual needs. But what if it was more than sex? Was this an emotional relationship? Had someone else replaced Sam in his heart and bed? Leaving as quietly as she'd come, Sam fled back to their bed and then, holding the twins she cried herself to sleep.

**The Morning After:**

"_We can't go on together With suspicious minds And be can't build our dreams On suspicious minds_

_"Oh let our love survive Or dry the tears from your eyes Let's don't let a good thing die When honey, you know I've never lied to you Yeah, yeah . . ."_

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Standing before the bathroom's mirror, Sam stared at her puffy red eyes, then stared at her limp blonde hair. Digging in the drawers she found a scissors and curling iron. Releasing the French braid she started to prune the unmanageable mess. Nothing too drastic, but it was time for a change.

An hour later, she sat alone at the large dining table and shoved the partially eaten omelet around her plate. The kids had risen, eaten and vacated the house to enjoy the warm autumn morning. She'd stayed in bed to avoid everyone, especially Jack. No such luck. He was off duty today. She'd spotted him raking dead leaves in his tattered jeans and a black pullover, its long sleeves jammed up his forearms. He'd yet to shave and the salt and pepper whiskers made him ruggedly handsome.

The back screen door creaked as he entered the house and went straight for the bubbling coffee pot on the wood burner stove, then the muffin pan. She watched him pop an entire muffin into his mouth and his tongue flick pass his lips to catch the crumbs. Watching Jack O'Neill eat aroused Sam. Not good! As much as she loved this man their sexual attraction seemed unnatural, especially considering their ages. Surely, after all this time and six children their love life would be like most married couples, nice, but not priority, let alone primal.

Sam inhaled. Heaven help her! Masculine scents assaulted her. Sweat, musk and autumn leaves emanated from the man. The ache below her hips intensified. Her cheeks burned and despite the moderate temperature she felt salty moisture on her upper lip. Sam tried to act nonchalant and nibbled her dried-out omelet and burnt toast. Seeking a diversion she mused, that she'd once been able to cook anything that included eggs.

Sam forced conversation. "Sleep well?"

"Like a baby. Feel like a new man."

"I bet," she mumbled. Her stomach pitched as she tried to erase last night's erotic conversation and a half-naked Jack from her mind.

"What?"

"Nothing." She let her fork clang onto the plate and shut her aching eyes only to recall a younger woman's face and sensuous curves. Kerry Johnson. It seemed sardonic that of all women Jack would have turned to, it'd be his former lover.

From the moment he'd entered the cabin Sam felt their personal tension elevate. He was humming "Suspicious Minds." The irony made her snort. She felt him access her butchered hair. Just because she could blow up a sun didn't mean she could style hair. Blow up a sun? Had she actually done that?

"Not hungry?" he shattered her wretched thoughts as he sat with coffee and the other muffin, layered with fresh churned butter. He stretched out his long muscular legs before him. Her gaze riveted on patches of tan hairy skin. The holey jeans revealed he didn't always wear jeans or slacks. Did he sunbath? A naked Jack. Oy! Sam swept her tongue across her parched lips. She had it bad.

"Carter?" Jack nudged her erotic thoughts with his husky tenor.

"Err, no." She took up her plate and gestured to rise, before she acted out her sensuous thoughts. '_Focus, Carter! He'd cheated on me! How could he profess to never giving up on me and then sink this low?' _

"Nice hair," he said amusingly to her retreating backside.

"Like you care." She snapped.

She carried her plate to the sink then remembered Thor ate anything.

"Carter?" Jack's hand was on her forearm. How'd he do that? She'd not even heard his chair scrap the floor.

"Don't." She glared up at him.

He let go. "Fine. You hair's shorter. Why?" He flourished a hand at her head.

"Too much work and you don't have decent conditioner."

"Ah." His eyes crossed. "Don't use the stuff myself. But I'll make sure Walter gets right on that." He snickered.

Sam ignored his sarcasm and scrapped her plate into Thor's dog dish.

"Your hair's longer on the left side than the right. Why don't you let me even it up or cut it shorter."

She glared up at him.

"Or not." He backed off with a smirk tugging his mouth upward.

The dog devoured the eggs and toast before Sam stood upright. When she did, she collided with Jack--again.

"Excuse me?" she said cooler than she felt as he had her trapped between the sink and counter.

"What's wrong?"

Sam gaped. "You've gotta be kidding!" she said in the same tone he'd use.

"I'm not." He was serious. Had getting laid fried his brains?

"Nor am I, sir." She put her hand against his chest for distance. She felt his heart thud against his ribs. His pulse raced. So did hers. She wanted to slap him silly and then have her way with him. What was wrong with her? She dropped her hands to her side and exhaled.

"Sir?" His scared eyebrow tracked into his hairline.

"Yes. I assume you're more comfortable with that pre-established relationship, than the informality of spouse. After all, you've already moved on, sir."

"I have?" His face constricted with confusion.

She reached up and extracted the strand of straw from his bed-head gray hair. "Rolling in the hay, sir?" She slapped the evidence into his left palm.

"Huh?" He took a step back and looked at the proof. To her shock, a smile crept across his lean mouth and his left dimple tucked deep. "So you spied on me, huh?"

"I wasn't spying." She huffed and once more tried to get pass him.

"Sweet." He gave her space and his eyes got that familiar glint of O'Neill mischief.

"So you screw just any female who transports into the barn at two a.m., or have you a list of favorites? I image without regs to conform to anymore there are loads of women willing and able to satisfy General O'Neill. You always did envy Maybourne's multiple-partner life style."

"Maybourne? The only think we've got in common are dogs."

"So you're into that too?" Okay, that was pushing it, but she was mad.

"That's just wrong on so many levels!" Jack's brown eyes bugged out.

"To each their own." She snorted and reached up to tug at her uneven hair.

"You're serious." He gawked raising his hands as if in surrender.

"You most certainly were last night. I do hope she satisfied that _right spot_."

'Right spot?' he mouthed, his lips ironing out.

"After all, she was exactly what you needed." Sam stormed out the front door before she engaged her hand-to-hand combat knowledge.

"Wait, I can explain!" Jack ran after her then halted and watched her charge off to where the twins played in the fenced in sand box.

"Screw you, sir!" She yelled back.

"I wish." Jack let out a breath and banged his forehead against doorframe, once, twice . . .

"Jack?"

"What!" His shoulders slumped and he turned to the familiar voice.

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Daniel entered through the backdoor and had heard enough to do the math. "You want me to go and explain what she thought she heard or saw last night?"

"No." Jack dumped his cold coffee into the sink and blew out his mouth.

"So you're going to let her think you're getting it on with another woman?" Daniel asked, exasperated.

"She's already made her scientific evaluation. Just one more reason this won't work. My Sam would know I can't 'get it on,' with anyone but her."

"And why's that? Her brain's scramble eggs, Jack. And if you spent more time with her, you'd realize just how much. Every time she remembers something, no matter how minute, she's ecstatic. I don't think she has a lot of knowledge about the Ancients, let alone bonding between chosen hearts."

"Excuse me." Jack turned and ranted with his steely low tone. "Knowledge hasn't a fricking thing to do with Ancient bonded couples. It's about emotional, mental, spiritual and physical bonding that goes beyond average human perception! Sam's not aware of me in any of those ways. She's oblivious that I can't get her off my mind, heart, or out of my blood." He unconsciously tugged the hem of the shirt he wore.

Blushing, Daniel averted his gaze from Jack's chagrin. Since Sam's return Jack was in a constant state of arousal, especially when she was within range of his scent or sight.

"I know the true reason you knew the fake Carter wasn't Sam had to do with you're not becoming um, stimulated around her--it." Daniel fiddled with the book he'd been reading.

"Ya think." Jack snorted.

"Well it's clear you can barely control yourself around this Sam Carter. You should read your body languages from my end. You two really should get a room."

"Please spare me the genital details." Jack yanked the sweaty shirt over his head, strolled into the laundry room, tossed it, and grabbed a clean shirt off the dryer. "We're mature adults. Just because I'm an Ancient doesn't mean I can't control my err . . .um, needs."

"You're such an ass, Jack." Daniel snorted and poured coffee then took a sip. "Mister, I am Ancient, hear me roar. Maybe Cass and I aren't true Ancients, but since our um, physical union, I've some idea of what you're experiencing. Your Ancient genes need to physically blend with hers."

"And Carter's doesn't." He settled on a stool with a fresh cup then emitted a grunt of distain as he flicked something out of the mug before drinking from it.

"You don't know that."

"Well, I don't see her lying awake all night, taking cold showers or . . .ya know." He winced.

"Women deal differently with that stuff."

"How?"

"Ya know." Daniel flinched.

"I do?" Jack donned his bewildered look.

"Yeah, they err um . . .the same thing we do. Just less obvious."

"Oh." Jack looked down at his cup. "So she um . . ." He made a suggestive hand gesture.

"Yes. I mean I don't know for sure. But if this is our, Ancient Sam, she's has to do something to release her pent-up energy. Especially, when she can't bond with you—coz, you won't let her."

"Crap." Jack dragged his hands through his hair and growled.

"The point is, Jack. You're wrong to let her believe you cheated, especially with the former Kerry Johnson, aka former CIA agent, turned chiropractor. And I don't think Kerry's husband will be happy. He's a jarhead Colonel. Also a sixth degree black belt."

"I did promote him," Jack said with authority. "And Kerry's a better chiropractor than she ever was government agent."

"Yeah, she's good." Daniel nodded with personal appreciation. "So get her and Sam together and tell the truth."

"Oh, right," Jack snickered. "I'm to haul Kerry—now a mother of three topside and explain to Sam, "Hey, Carter, just coz you saw me with my old flame with my shirt off, don't matter. She was adjusting my aching shoulders and back because I can't sleep on the crappy sofa."

"That works," Sam said opening the front door as she stared at his backside.

"Doh!" Jack blustered shot to his feet and faced her. Getting caught in the act caused Jack's tan complexion to turn even darker.

"Um, yes. That went well." Daniel smiled then back-stepped toward the kitchen door. "I think this is where I find something fascinating to do--read." He waved his book. "Yeah. Bye."

His eyes fixed on Sam Jack swallowed hard. "Stay," he ordered over his shoulder to Daniel.

"But?"

"Yes, stay." Sam reiterated then turned, closed the door, and strolled back toward the children.

Daniel swore there was a skip to her steps.

"Go after her!" he blathered.

"Nope."

"Why?" Frustrated beyond words, Daniel dropped onto a stool at the kitchen counter.

"It doesn't work that way with us, Daniel. Never has."

"You two are unbelievable!" Daniel whined. "You're telling me you are willing to keep sleeping on that lumpy sofa."

"Yep." Jack turned, picked-up his muffin and munched with a silly grin. "I'm a patient man. Little steps, Daniel, little steps." He gazed out the window to where Sam had settled on the swing with Jacob on her lap.

"If you two took any smaller steps you'd move slower than the Replicators did when we froze them in that time-dilation prison."

"Trust me, Daniel."

"Just shoot me! Being around you guys is like being slowly sucked into a black hole, one piece at a time."

"What?" Jack set down his coffee and stared at Daniel as if he'd said something prophetic.

"I said it's like being sucked into a black hole piece-by-piece. Why?"

"A black hole, you say?" Jack shot off his stool.

"I believe that's what I said." He peered suspiciously over his glasses at the advancing man.

To Daniel's horror Jack grabbed his face and planted a fat kiss on his forehead.

"Yuck!" He swiped at the wet spot, smearing his glasses. He hoped Jack's sexual frustration wasn't making him . . .ya know.

"You, Doctor Jackson, are a mastermind, a genius!" Jack tugged the Persian rug off the rings and stepped inside the circle and pulled back his sleeve revealing a ring activator next to his watch.

"Um, thanks, I think." Daniel adjusted his soiled glasses. "Whatcha you doing?"

"C'mon." Jack windmilled his arms.

Daniel hesitantly complied. "But it's our day off. Cass is working and I want to read." He possessively clutched the dusty book to his chest. Since the invasion, he rarely got a day alone, let to read the few books still available.

"Daniel, if we pull this off, you'll have the rest of your Ancient life to read."

"Really?"

"Ya sure yabetcha."

Ten second later the rings delivered them two miles underground. Jack hummed as they merged into the busy Tok'ra tunnels labeled with manmade signs for the directionally-challenged. Jack's idea.

Military folks respectfully saluted Jack, who responded with a causal, "Chill, solider." They did.

Meanwhile, Daniel tried to connect the dots, usually Jack's problem which really annoyed him. "So, um, will you tell this, genius, why you're so pumped?"

"Not before I talk to McKay and Doctor Lee."

"Oh." Daniel shrugged. "About Sam's butchered hair?"

"Yes?" His gray brows shifted with his duh look.

"It's nasty." Daniel did a body shuddered. "Like the haircut she had when we were stuck beneath that ice planet."

"Nah, Carter looks hot," he said through a dimpled smirk. "Just like she did back then."

"You're pathetic." Daniel sighed. "You'd say that even if she'd shaven her head."

"Ya think? Don't worry, Danny, it's only hair. It'll grow on ya." Jack chuckled as his long strides maneuvered among the milling occupants of J.A.C.O.B.

"So, genius, where's P3X-808 located? Ya know, the planet where we lost SG-10."

"Um, its . . ." Daniel halted mid-gait and stared at the backside of the smartest, most self-effacing man alive, Jack O'Neill.

Piece-by-piece—Replicators, Wraith? Black hole? Oh, shit! Even better, it just might work. "Hey, Jack, hold-up!"

END OF CHAPTER TEN


	11. Chapter 11

_Hey campers,_

_Sorry for the long delay.I know lots of you want some kick butt action. Be patient it is coming, but foremost this is a never-ending love story with tons of emotion and depth between Sam and Jack. So pull out the tissues and as always, I appreciate your ongoing reviews, no matter what. -- HailDorothy_

_PS: Sorry for the flashback but I needed to revise. The price we pay when writing by the seat of our pants._

JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ

**CHAPTER ELEVEN **

**Two years prior: Jack's Cabin**

Hugging his knees to his chest, Jack sat on the dock alone. He'd felt the weight of darkness settle over him the last few days. He fought it with every ounce of will he had, but sometime that wasn't enough. It grew stronger shattering him at the most crucial times. At such black moments he pondered The Keeper of the Star's existence. What kind of god would allow this horrendous catastrophe? For a higher purpose my eye! How could good come out of so many unnecessary deaths and sufferings? Whose side was God on anyhow? Most of all, Jack wondered why the fate of the world had landed on his unworthy shoulders.

"Yeah, God, an answer would be nice about now?"

Jack waited. "Fine be a stick in the mud! But You're not the one sitting here wishing the most important decision I had to make was whether to buy another dog."

Okay, so he had made many life-altering decisions in his military career. Who lived? Who died? But the most difficult calls had come these past months. Besides what affected his family, there were choices he wasn't proud about and that eroded his soul. But with no president, speaker of the house, or chiefs of staff to make those judgment calls, they'd fallen on his shoulders. Truth was, his shoulders weren't holding up too well. He thought about the men, women, and children who made into Safe Haven and how many hadn't, eventually because there weren't enough provisions to harbor the thousands of people.

"For the greater cause," Hammond told Jack before the brave man gave up his life, "I've had to make decisions that cost lives, Jack, including yours. And now you will do the same because you are chosen." Chosen my eye!

Heck, until this last year there'd been no off-world sites to send anyone. Even if the Alpha site had survived, there was no means of communication. How many had died outside the force field because of him? The decaying bodies left by the Replicators spoke volumes. And those swept up by the Wraith, Jack couldn't fathom.

Being responsible for so many lost lives made the time SG-1 had been stuck in that time dilation field for fifty years seem like a cakewalk. Swearing, Jack scrubbed his hands over his face and into his hair. The guilt wouldn't leave and with it came the black depression that threatened his sanity. He couldn't afford to fall into that abyss again. The last time it happened he'd been incapacitated. Two weeks of being zoned out. He'd not responded to anything external, not even the sound or touch of his children. That's when Jack found out he was not alone—in his head. He recalled the knock on the door to his gray matter.

"O'Neill?"

"Thor, old buddy, whatcha doing here?" Jack glanced around the yard and the dismal gray spring day. No Thor. Not that he'd expected to see the very dead Asgard. "No! Wait! Don't answer that. I've gone off the deep end—again. Unhinged, nuts, crazy, three-fries short of a happy meal." He hoped no one was witness to his one-sided conversation.

"You are not a happy meal, Jack. You're experiencing delayed posttraumatic stress syndrome. As for me, I transferred into your mind within seconds of taking my last breath aboard the O'Neill III. It was the only way I could survive without Fifth attaching to me. I've been hiding deep in your subconscious."

"How deep?"

"Well, one could get easily lost in here."

"Was that sarcasm?"

"Yes."

"Now that I understand." He smiled. "So how do we get you out of my head?"

"We do not."

"Excuse me?" Jack gulped. After having a snake in his head more than once, he wasn't into sharing his already messed up head or life.

"Unless there is an Asgard clone-vessel I've no place to go, O'Neill."

"Wait. We could download you into the O'Neill's III's computer. Ya know, like you did on Anubis' ship."

"It is not that easy, Jack. The O'Neill was not designed with the advanced Asgard technology."

"Yeah, about that---,"

"Later, O'Neill. I must rest."

"Hey!" Jack called out. "You started this tête-à-tête."

"I did. I am also weak and must regain my strength before we can continue. But while I rest I concentrate, evaluate and think of how to change these bleak matters for the better."

"Fine. You think, you evaluate . . . Hey, can you read my mind, know my thoughts?"

"I cannot, Jack. I am consciousness without a home. I will not trouble you. Before I sleep, I want to share my sorrow over the loss of Samantha."

"Thanks." Jack sniffed a nose full and batted a maverick tear.

"Sam is not dead. For the sake of your family and the galaxy you must find her, Jack."

"I will, little buddy."

"And Jack?"

"What?"

"The Star Keeper chose you for such a time as this. You must pull free from this dark pit you've escaped into. Earth needs you, as does your family. You, Jonathon James O'Neill, are chosen."

"Yeah, right." He snickered with an eye roll.

"Furthermore, it is impossible for shoulders to be incompetent and—."

"Oh fercryin'outloud!"

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

**J.A.C.O.B. SGC-2**

**Present Time: Ten days after the Jack and Kerry misunderstanding. **

"General O'Neill?" McKay asked formally.

That got Jack's attention. Since the invasion things had turned informal with the Canadian, Carter-obsessed scientist. Yeah, a lot of walls had tumbled. Not that Jack would ever verbally confirm he liked Rodney and he'd bet his eyeteeth he'd never hear the same from McKay. They had a mutual love-annoyance relationship. Jack wondered how Sheppard managed to not ring the self-centered man's neck all these years.And now Jack was slightly suspicious about why he wasn't just plain old, Jack to Rodney.

"Err um," McKay cleared his throat.

"Whatcha want, Doctor McKay?" Jack arched a brow at the man.

Rodney flinched. "I was wondering if you re-thought my suggestion about Colonel Carter?"

"Answer's still no." Jack turned on a dime toward his office. Yep, he had an office--with a door. "And don't ask again."

"But she knows more about black holes than anyone alive and—"

"Nah aah," Jack wagged a finger.

"Sir, Rodney's right." Joanne Smith nodded in agreement with her brother.

"Kids, until you complete that little toy that'll let us know if she's bugged, I can't allow her down here."

"You still think she's compromised?" Daniel ambled into the laboratory.

"Any proof she's not?" Jack countered.

"Why not let Thor poke around her genius head?" Daniel suggested, receiving nods from the other scientists.

Jack stiffened. "It doesn't work that way, Daniel. You know that. Bad enough he's stuck in my noggin and it took me half a year to realize it."

"Just like the time you had Joe Spencer in your head for seven years and never noticed or told anyone."

"I noticed." Jack defended as he shoved his rolled blue BDU's sleeves further up both arms.

"Oh, yeah your response was that you found it quite refreshing and relaxing," Daniel added with a snort.

"Hey, it was relaxing. Like watching a classic movie."

"For seven years," Daniel scoffed.

"Careful." Jack warned then shoved Daniel's glasses up his nose a bit harder than needed.

"Ouch!" Daniel yanked his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his bruised nose.

"Oh, wow! That's so . . ." A tight smirk crept across McKay's mouth as he snorted.

"What?" Jack glowered, his patience on a short rope.

"Um nothing." Rodney cleared his throat and took a few steps back, but continued to leer.

"And Daniel . . ." Jack sent a glint at his son-in-law.

"Um, what, Jack?"

"At least I didn't have Osiris sifting my brain for weeks through a stupid erotic dream before I got _it_." He made quote marks with his fingers.

Rodney and Jeannie turned together and grinned at Daniel.

"Hey, it wasn't erotic! I mean she and I were--" Daniel waved his book like a shield.

His hands jammed in his front pockets, Jack rocked on his heels and delivered his densest look. "Pray do tell?"

"Yeah, I'd love to hear this one." Rodney chimed. "Bet Cassandra would too."

"Well you won't. And hah, hah, Cass knows everything. Still, I'm glad all those mission reports got blown up in the invasion."

"Bet you are." Jeannie giggled.

"Oh, he is." Jack waggled his brows, deciding not to reveal all mission reports had been duplicated and sent to this base three years ago. "Then there was that romantic incident with Hathor--."

"Shut up, Jack!"

"Excuse me?" Jack took a threatening step toward him.

"Point taken." Daniel held up a finger of defeat then switched gears. "I assume Thor's still latent in there." He pointed to Jack's head.

"Yeah, thanks to small miracles. He gets vocal now and then, but I sense him banging around. Almost as bad as a Goa'uld." Jack tapped his brow. "I'll do the jig when you guys get him his own closet space."

"Poor Thor. Stuck in Jack's head. I'm sure he's bored out of his Asgard skull." Rodney snickered.

"Well, I offered to transfer him to you, McKay, apparently he's claustrophobic and allergic to egomaniacs." Jack did a mental high five.

"Ouch!" Daniel winced.

Jeannie laughed then cleared her throat when Rodney elbowed her.

"The point is," Jack reiterated with his CO attitude. "Carter's to know nothing until I deem fit. And even once we do have a go on Plan A, she's not to know the truth. I can't risk the lives of this base and planet because my wife might be a fricking bug."

"And if she is a bug?" Rodney asked.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Well that's stupid . . ." Daniel muttered.

Jack glared.

"Did I just say that?" Daniel winced.

Another glint from Jack. "Let me emphasis there will be no stupid heroics from any of you. I have no qualms to shoot the first one who disobeys my orders. That includes you, Daniel. Is that clear?"

Three heads nodded. Jack walked off, snapping a folder against his leg.

"Wow!" Rodney exclaimed. "He's like Jekyll and Hyde."

"Hey, give the man some latitude," Daniel stated. "He's got the world on his shoulders."

"He just threatened to blow you away," Rodney emphasized branished his pistol then put it back in his desk drawer.

"Naw, he's been threatening me for over twenty years—actually he did a few times—shoot me." Daniel gulped with those memories. "With good reason," he added.

"Well, as right as the General is, Rodney's also right, Jack's burning out." Jeannie commented with a worried look. "I can't imagine the compounded stress he's under now that Colonel Carter's back."

"Oh, I've some idea." Daniel dropped onto a stool and scrubbed his weary face. "What you just witnessed is Jack overcompensating for emotional baggage."

"Then you think Sam's a rep too?" Rodney asked revealing his suspicion.

"Doesn't matter what I or you think." Daniel sighed. "But if you think she's the enemy how come you asked Jack to let her in on Plan A?"

Arms akimbo, his sister turned a suspicious eye on her older brother. "Yeah, what's up with you?"

"Just testing him, is all. I needed to make sure he wasn't caving in and believing she's our Carter. Even if she's real she could be boobee-trapped."

"I think Jack made it pretty clear. We can't take chances. We need to pull this off without Sam." He met Rodney's furrowed brow. "Now what?"

"He's serious about using Atlantis."

"Yeah, dead serious. So get used to it. Even Sheppard and Weir are onboard."

"Barely." Rodney snorted. "The city's the largest vessel we've got. If we fail we'll never recover and have no way to evacuate the thousands of people that city is capable of transporting."

Jeannie shook her head. "And how far would we get, Rodney? We need another year or more to correct the hull damage, let alone half the city is uninhabitable."

"Listen to your sister, Rodney," Daniel advised with the hint of smile. "None of us want to do this, but Atlantis is our last chance at freedom."

McKay shut his laptop then huffed a sigh of supercilious. "Our last chance got flushed down the crapper the day O'Neill let this Sam enter Safe Haven."

"Excuse me," Daniel looked at Rodney with wide blue eyes, realizing Rodney had adopted some of Jack's idiosyncrasies.

"I'm saying if Sam is a Replicator which I highly suspect, Jack's too in love to do the right thing. That means one of us will have to step up to the plate."

"You're wrong!" Daniel argued, his defense for Jack and Sam ringing through. "Jack won't let feelings interfere with what's best for the world, even if he has to take out Sam." Daniel closed his eyes and blew out his mouth at the horrible notion.

"Well this genius is rarely wrong, Jackson. But for everyone sake, I hope I'm dead wrong. If not, we're so screwed."

End of Chapter Eleven

More to come. . ..


	12. Chapter 12

CHOSEN HEARTS SERIES

NEVER SAY NEVER, CHAPTER TWELVE

I want to apologize to my readers for the long delay. Lots of life issues kept me away, along with finishing some earlier episode stories for this series that screamed at me for attention. I'm back and hope you will continue to read and support the Chosen Hearts series, especially Never Say Never.

I look forward to reading your replies on fanfic or any personal ones you send me.

Always,  
HailDorothy

00000

Something huge was going down. Jack, Cassandra, Daniel and Teal'c had literally vanished from Sam's surface life. Grace, JJ and Charlie said they'd no idea what was going on. Yeah right, and the moon was made of cheese. She hated being out of the loop but more importantly lied to by her family.

On a more personal note Sam kicked herself--repeatedly. Ten days ago, she'd almost thrown herself into Jack's arms. He'd never cheated on her--once! Now she wondered how'd she'd ever thought him capable. Suspicious minds. Fortunately, she'd walked-in on the tail end of his and Daniel's conversation. She'd heard enough to know Kerry Johnson was the base chiropractor and had given Jack an adjustment that night in the barn. Nothing more. Sam was such an idiot. She also realized there was nothing simple or normal about her relationship with Jack O'Neill, let alone their marriage. He hadn't chased after her nor had she expected him too, although she sure wouldn't have minded to see that kink in his armor. Coz, she knew she'd seen it a lot more often before they were married.

So here they were another week later and not even to first base. He'd not so much as made a pass or said something sexually noteworthy. Then again, neither had she. Would either of them ever surrender? Never say never, Sam. Where had she heard that stupid line? Yet the more they avoided each other the more she wanted him. She felt like a cat in heat. Not that she had any idea of how a cat felt. Oh, yes she did! Horny. And even when she relieved herself in the darkness of night that wasn't enough. More than half her waking hours were filled with sordid visions of making out with Jack O'Neill. Doing erotic things to him that'd make a grown man groan . . .um weep. She had clear memories how Jack looked and sounded in the throes of lovemaking. Beautiful!

"Stop it," she chastised herself, "Think of something else." She couldn't. Despite the occasional eye candy that came and went from the farm, not one of those handsome men in uniform tripped her trigger. Just Jack. Why? Well besides the fact they were married and she was lustfully in love with him, she thought she'd at least enjoy the scenery. Nope. It only made her want Jack more.

Sam was thankful for the children's presence because when Jack was out of sight she seriously focused on them. Strange, how her need to bond with her children was equal if not stronger than being with Jack. She knew all about natural maternal instinct but this bordered on obsession. Which made Sam question her sanity. This powerful emotion didn't seem rational. No doubt it was part of her Ancient DNA, of which she had yet to recall all the details. Although she'd gotten a huge hint yesterday when she'd overhead Grace and JJ talking in his bedroom.

"She obviously doesn't have a clue." JJ grumbled, sitting cross legged on his bed with a comic book in hand, while Grace sat in a chair with a three year old teen magazine.

"Mom's smart, she'll figure it out, she always does."

"Yeah, well before or after she makes a fool out of herself and jumps dad in front of us."

"JJ!" Grace hissed, "It doesn't work that way. Besides, that's why dad's keeping clear of her."

"Oh, pleez," the younger boy snickered. "I've been around long enough to know what happens when an Ancient branded female goes into heat and how little restraint either of the couple have during the heat."

"It's called Sha'rutt, not heat."

"Whatever! It's the same thing that Cass's got and why she and Daniel are holed up at their place all week. The poor guy." He tossed his comic book aside.

"Don't pity him, JJ. Daniel's in Sha'rutt too. It's the way God created us Ancients. Someday we'll experience the same joyful pleasure with our chosen hearts."

"Gag me!" JJ stuck a finger down his throat. "It's down right embarrassing to know our father, General Jonathon O'Neill, is walking around with a twenty-four-seven boner for our mother. Crap! I can't wait for this stupid full moon to end. Why can't we be like other folks . . ."

Yeah, that'd been an eye-opening ear-full. Heart pounding, Sam had snuck back into the kitchen and then outside to where the twins played in the sandbox, while Thor kept watch. There, she downloaded what she'd overheard, deciding that Sha'rutt sounded far better than 'being in heat.'

Sam now forced her thoughts back to the present. Regarding their children Sam had no favorites. She loved each child unconditionally, although she did fixate a little more on the twins because she'd missed so much of their first three years. And then there was Charlie-Chuck. There was a definite wall of distrust between them and she had no idea how to break it down. To date he'd never sought her out alone and only spoke to her when necessary. Well, there was the exchange three days ago. A conversation that disturbed her but she'd yet to tell anyone, including Jack.

After rarely getting past the front yard, she'd been poking inside the barn when someone tapped her on the shoulder. "Whatcha doing here?"

On voice alone Sam turned expecting Jack. She instead encountered Charlie's brown suspicious glint. Everything from his unruly reddish-brown hair to deep-dimpled tanned cheeks reminded Sam of a younger Jack. It was difficult to believe that Charlie once walked with a limp and had a failing heart. She longed to tell him how thankful she felt toward the Tok'ra for healing him. Charlie was her and Jack's first son. Remembering how close they'd once been, she missed him terribly and her desire to embrace him felt stronger than ever. That wouldn't happen anytime soon. Charlie's years with the Tok'ra made him highly suspicious and with just cause.

Donning a mask of confidence she squared her shoulders and met his unreadable O'Neill expression. "I was restless and came outside for exercise." She shrugged.

"Well, the barn's off limits." He glanced to the base of transport rings a few feet inside of the barn's ground floor.

"Not that I recall."

An inch taller than Jack, Lieutenant Charlie O'Neill posed an intimidating stance above her. "Well it is."

"Charlie?" she asked in a softer voice. "I'm your mom and I--."

"No you're not." He huffed.

"I don't understand." She nibbled her lower lip and stared up at him.

"My mother was a Re'tu."

"I know she . . . umm raised you for awhile, but I'm your biological mother, Charlie."

"Are you?"

"Yes."

"Well that's a matter of opinion. I for one think it's awfully convenient how you've waltzed in here after almost three years and everyone, including the General has accepted you for Samantha Carter."

"Your father has hardly accepted me—yet."

"Oh, he's close to cracking, which I'm sure makes you happy." He snorted.

"This isn't about my happiness, Charlie. I don't expect to be treated differently than anyone else. I'm used to working, using my head and hands to fix problems. I want to do my part defeating the Replicators and Wraith. So far all I do is clean, cook and—"

"Despite being an Air Force Colonel and one of the greatest hero's I've ever known, my mother enjoyed household duties. She loved being a wife and mother." He snorted. "But then, if you are Samantha Carter–O'Neill, you'd know that."

Sam sensed the little boy inside this young man lashing out. He wanted to hurt her for leaving him. "I'm sorry, Charlie." She reached up and touched his tensed jaw. This was the first they'd touched since her return. Something emotional and metaphysical passed between them. Sam had the same experience with her other children weeks ago. Charlie flinched and pulled back. She knew he'd felt the strange yet pleasing connection.

"It'll take a lot more than static electricity and being sorry to win me over." He turned and opening the barn's service door ushered her outside. Sam reluctantly complied. She wondered where her military grit had gone. But this wasn't about the military. This was personal. This was family.

"My mother used to make special pancakes when I came home," he threw out at her.

"Chocolate Chips pancakes with ice-cream," Sam replied off the top of her head. The stunned look on his face confirmed she was right.

"What kinda ice-cream?"

"Er—um, French Vanilla."

The flicker of a smile touched his brown eyes then vanished. "Wrong." He snickered.

"Oh."

"And Carter," Charlie said in Jack's matter of fact tone.

"What, son?" she refused to let him intimidate her.

"If you hurt dad or any of the kids you'll deal with me. And I promise it won't be pleasant." Charlie slammed the barn door and left Sam pondering his hurtful words. Fighting back tears she turned and walked dejectedly back to the house.

00000

Meanwhile, every night fear enveloped her. Not just about Charlie's distrust, but fears she couldn't nail down, but knew as well as she loved Jack O'Neill, that there was a logical reason for her anxiety. Weird as it seemed, she expected to see Fifth popped out of the woodwork any moment. Sam's greatest fear was she'd never left the Replicator ship, that everything happening to her was Fifth playing with her mind.

Nervous and afraid, she'd made her routine rounds in the secured house checking that doors were locked, windows sealed. According to Teal'c, Jack had the two-story log house and surrounding acreage encased with the same force field used on Atlantis. Didn't that require a ZPM? She remained vague on many details, but her recollections continued to improve.

Teal'c had shared that Ishta and their children had recently moved to the planet of the Knox for safety. It'd been a hard but right decision to make for now. Smart man, she'd mused. He missed them and from what she recalled of the Jaffa warrior woman, Ishta, not being on the front lines with her husband would prove difficult. As if he'd sensed Sam's thoughts Teal'c shared that Ishta took her role to teach their children how to fight like free Jaffa, seriously. Sam pondered how the passive Knox handled Ishta's mindset. The thought made her smile.

Sam began to remember people like Cameron Mitchell, Vala Mal Doran, General Landry, Rodney McKay, Elizabeth Weir and John Sheppard. Wisps of incidents and people. She'd been surprised to learn that Elizabeth and John were married and had supervised Atlantis until the planet had fallen to the replicators. When asked if they were alive no one answered. Sam took that for a no. Or not? What she wouldn't give for one straight answer.

And then there was one General Jack O'Neill, a constant contradiction. The undisputed commander of Earth's defenses, a passionate father and a pain in the butt, husband.

To add to Sam's frustration with this man, the last few nights had grown harder to get through. Um, maybe she should rephrase that? She suspected it had to do with the approaching full moon. Sam never slept well this time of the month or as far as she recalled. And the cause of her sleeplessness was Jack O'Neill.

The object of her thoughts stealthy followed her as he had previous nights. Tonight, he didn't unbolt the locks but reopened windows to let in the cooler night. Although autumn, this evening proved extremely warm. There was no central air. A Naquadah Reactor supplied power for the refrigerator, walk-in freezer unit, and spring-well and hot water heater. Everything else was fueled by manpower or firewood, including heating the house.

The centralized fireplace had internal fans and each bedroom held a potbelly stove vented through an elaborate air exchange system. Sam soon remembered this was her efficient design and she had a backup for every system. Several camouflaged rotator windmills similar to those once used by some parts of the country before the war supplied power, but to where she wondered. Apparently the less technical the power sources, the safer they were.

The family had learned to can and dry foodstuff. There was five years of provisions including freeze-dried meats and MRE's in the root cellar below the basement. These hidden rooms made Sam curious as to whether there was a second SGC base. Why didn't she remember, or had it been constructed after her abduction? She'd not missed the transportation rings beneath the Persian carpet that had been conveniently placed there since her arrival. Nor the rings in the barn that were used 24/7. Sam itched to enter them and see where they'd take her, but had yet to find the control panel or a hand remote. Clearly, no one intended to tell her squat, especially Jack.

Annoyed by his guarded presence she yanked opened the door, then the screen door and strolled onto the front porch. Surely that rattled his cage. She left the door ajar and sauntered to the end of the covered porch to gaze at the stars. Even here, one could see the fireworks taking place overhead as the Wraith tracked humans for harvesting and battled the Replicators for control. Truce indeed. When the screen door squeaked, Sam's chest muscles contracted and she hugged her bare arms. He had followed her. Good.

"Nice night," he said close to her ear.

"Um, yeah." Sam was mortified how easily he unglued her. "We used to spend a lot of time on this porch," she said before realizing its implications.

"And you'd know that how?" he countered, his hot breath warming her neck.

Sam turned abruptly and almost bumped into him. If her action bewildered him, he didn't show it.

"I have distinct memories."

"Ah," he nodded.

She glanced at the porch swing. "That was a favorite place. We'd sit there for hours and —"

"Yes?" He eyeballed her.

"Sw--ing." She gulped as visions of acrobatic lovemaking surfaced in her mind's eye. "And--watch the stars of course." She pointed upward to distract him from the heat tingeing her cheeks. Was it her imagination or was he grinning?

"Ah, yes the stars. They've been a part of our lives ever since we first met."

Sam sensed the dangle of bait. "Halloween. I was Dorothy in pigtails, stargazing on the White House lawn with Zorro minus his sword."

Jack coughed.

Sam smirked. It felt to see him unraveled. "So whatever happened to Toto?"

Clearing his throat, Jack said, "I believe he's in the same box that holds a spoon, yoyo, hot pink panties and. . ."

Sam waved her hand in surrender. "Um, can we come forward in time? What happened after Fifth abducted me?"

"Oh, that." He sounded uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, if you'd rather not I understand."

"No, that's not it." He scrubbed his hands over his face and through his gray hair, then puffed out his cheeks and exhaled through his mouth.

Sam waited as he seemed to collect his thoughts.

"After your abduction our first rescue mission was the SGC. The mountain had been blown apart. All attempts to enter the SGC were nil. Fortunately some of the men and women Thor hadn't managed to beam aboard were rescued and brought back with us."

"I'm glad." She turned to find his face just inches away. His sable brown stare took her off guard. Those heart-stopping brown eyes hadn't changed at all. He sidled her with a cautious glance, cleared his throat and pulled back. Da ja vu! Sam flashed years back to the SGC Control Room when her Replicator double had first contacted them. Jack had hovered closer than necessary as they looked into the computer screen. It'd been an intense moment of intimacy between them they'd not shared since she'd dated Pete.

Sam experienced that same sensation. It unhinged her. Even though he'd put a good two feet between them, she could smell his masculine essence and her blood pressure skyrocketed. Jack O'Neill was rock-hard testosterone! Barefooted, he'd not shaved and wore that unbuttoned ratty checkered flannel shirt over a thread-worn t-shirt and wash-worn blue jeans. Beads of perspiration broke out on her forehead. She felt shaky and dizzy. Sam felt horny! As if it would stop her internal reaction she took two deliberate steps from him. His scared brow arched at her defensive action.

"Soo um, our home in the Springs?" Sam need a diversion and had wanted to ask for a while.

"Last I saw it was still standing, but had been vandalized. Half the neighborhood was destroyed. I salvaged what I could of clothes, personal possessions and items the kids wanted, but the area was infested with Wraith, so I didn't hang around for the welcome wagon."

"That explains my clothes." She gestured to her favorite black jeans, blue sweater and loafers she wore.

"Actually you can thank Thor. He brought them on board when he beamed up our bedroom set. Those were in the dresser."

"Oh. They're baggy." She tugged at the belted waist.

"You lost weight." He cocked his silvery head. "It's good to see you're gaining some of it back. I never dug Twiggy."

"Excuse me?" She shrugged with confusion.

"Twiggy--British model from the seventies married to Frank Sinatra." He made a stick figure in the air.

Sam frowned.

"Had to be there." He rolled his broad shoulders and leaned back against the porch railing, crossing his long legs in a casual poise she'd remembered.

"I should remember though."

"Yeah, well . . ." He looked a way, his mouth thinned out and the crevice between his brows deepened. Even in the moonlight, Sam could see his frustration with her. What she wouldn't give for one of his rare dimpled smiles.

"Did you ever return to the Springs?" She fisted her hands and bounced them against her thighs.

"Nope. Everything I love and need is here." He faced her with an expression of unnerving intensity. It was a familiar look she'd glimpsed when he thought she wasn't looking. Just as quickly as it came, it vanished. His mask of cold indifference dropped into place. A mask Sam never liked.

"Guess you're right." She swallowed and forced her attention toward the rolling acres of farmland and woods.

A lull fell between them and Sam decided to head inside where she felt safer. So far, downtime with Jack O'Neill proved a most un-pleasurable experience. She understood his mistrust and would have reacted the same. But her heart bled from his macho apathy. She longed for his embrace. More often than not, she wanted to rip off his clothes and have her way with him. Why, she'd no idea. Because he was basically a jerk!

Hugging her chilled arms she turned toward the door. "Do they ever come here?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Who?"

"The Wraith?"

"Give them an A for effort. That's what those lightening flashes overhead are."

Sam peered upward into the night sky. A few seconds later something blinked, then another. "I thought that was the Wraith and Replicators skirmishing." She purposely sounded dense.

"No. The bigger flashes are their star wars. The small ones are unsuccessful attempts to break through the force field—but then you knew that." He snorted and she thought he rolled his gorgeous eyes. Oh, well so much for the dumb act.

"Yes, I --," she watched a June bug repeatedly bounce against the screen door and her scientist mind started running different scenarios. "Then they've never broken through?"

"Once." He leaned his right hip on the porch's wooden rail. His restless hands patted his flannel shirt and pants for his cigarettes.

Sam gulped and glanced away. She'd been pitching any partial or full wrappers she found, even if they were in his clothes. Yep, that meant she'd been feeling and smelling his clothes in their closet. Man, she was sick!

Expelling a huff he gave up and continued talking. "Last year there was an overload in the yada yada flux capacitater of the Z.P.M. powered shield that covers well, a lot of what you see." He gestured around them.

Sam smiled at his attempt to talk techno babble or fake it. He was after all, way smarter than her. He sniffed a breath, and paused as if expecting her to say something, but she wouldn't play head games. Besides she was thinking about June bugs and all the noise one bug made, making it seem like there were more bugs. . .

"And?" she urged with a hand gesture.

"Basically a window of opportunity opened and the Wraith dropped in for mid-day snacks. We were safe as we had a backup force field for the cabin and buildings. The Wraith had hunted down a camp of civilians on the other side of the pond and a few Replicators managed to come along for the ride." He pointed toward the water. "It was scary for the kids. We had to shutdown the force field so as not to attract their detector sweeps."

"What did you do?" She turned and found him looking passed her toward the pond.

"Made the place look deserted, hid the livestock and waited it out. They came and ransacked the house and barn, that's why the doors and windows got rebuilt."

"But they didn't find you?"

"No, but—" He snapped his fingers, reached down into his rolled pants leg and retrieved a used cigarette butt. Bad enough he was probably smoking three year old cigs. Now butts. Yuck!

Sam rolled her eyes as he struck a wooden match against the porch post and lit the cancer stick. Jack inhaled, held and then blow out a white spiral of smoke into the night air. She wanted to yank the poison from his lips but that'd start another argument. So she'd bid her time—for now. "Then what happened?"

"They got George and Siler."

"Oh, no!" She wrapped her arms about her chest and shivered. Tears swelled. She'd longed to ask about her Godfather, but had feared the worst. Now she knew why.

"Yeah. Siler escaped, thank God. But George insisted staying topside to distract the search party if they got too close to the Tok'ra tunnels."

"The tunnels worked like I had hoped?" She remembered!

"Yeah." He admitted then closed his eyes. "Ya know those Wraith bastards can smell us. Siler refused to let George stay alone. But George wasn't about to let a father of five sacrifice himself. He locked Siler between the blast walls. Once they caught George they feed off him. Siler heard it all—but George never gave us away." Jack's voice thickened and he tossed the stale cigarette and ground the glowing butt with his boot.

"Not Uncle George, not that way!" Sam's tremble turned to outward shaking, tears streamed down her face.

Jack stepped forward and touched her gently, but didn't offer his shoulder or arms. "I know this isn't much solace but George was already dead."

"I-I don't understand." She looked up, swiping at tears.

"He had cancer. He'd been in remission but it came back two months earlier ravaging his lungs, kidneys and liver. We'd no means to treat him then."

"The hand-healing device. Or you could have . . ." Sam couldn't believe she was hearing this.

"What?"

"Saved him."

"How?" It was more of a demand than question.

"I—I mean I just believe you could have." Sam rubbed her brow pondering why she'd ever think Jack O'Neill had some supernatural power to heal. His open mouth expression said she was nuts. Maybe she was. Or maybe his Ancient gens had . . .

"Ah . . .Well, you're wrong. For what it's worth I offered to contact the Asgard. George refused." Jack cleared his clotted throat. "Carter, General Hammond told me the day Thor beamed us all aboard, he had lived a good life and was ready to leave this world. He went out fighting for what he believed in."

"He died a hero." She sniffed, rocking in place.

"Yes. Besides Jacob Carter, George was the best man I've ever had the privilege of knowing or serving under."

The reference to her father caused Sam to swallow more tears. "Um, excuse me." She motioned to leave. His hand cupped her shoulder and pulled her back but not into his embrace where she longed to be.

"Carter?"

"What?" She glanced to where his long fingers claimed her. In the moonlight she saw his rugged face scrunch as if with pain. When he let his hand drop away, her skin missed the warmth his touch had transmitted.

"Like your dad, George died with honor, Carter." He looked down at her and for the first time since last week she saw his compassion. She wondered if he'd ever call her Sam or Samantha again. That had ended after their first conversation last week.

"I know." She sniffed a nose-full.

Jack yanked a handkerchief from his back pocket and gently pressed it against her nostrils. "Blow."

Sam obeyed. To her surprise he swabbed her nose then stuffed the soiled clothe into his back pocket as if normal. A remix of such past intimacies between them.

"Was Baal still here?"

"Yep, a regular three ring circus. But he was and still is on our side—for now."

"After all he's done to you, you trust him?"

"No. But I trust him over the Wraith and Replicators."

She held his unblinking gaze. Other than the wind stirring the trees, yapping crickets and an owl a moment settled between her and the man. For now she forgot about Baal and wallowed in her newfound grief. Four-star General George Hammond was dead!

"Uncle George died to save us." She hugged herself, wanting Jack's touch, his strong reassuring embrace. However something remained cold and barren between them. She had overlooked an important factor. Something special, unique, that was theirs exclusively and she sensed until she remembered, the emotional chill would remain.

"George died for everyone in the tunnels, Carter. Over two-thousand folks survived that night, including his grown grand-daughters and—."

"Wait! I remember." She waved a hand as memories evolved. "This is Safe Haven." She took a bold step toward Jack. "You're the head of Home World Security and this was, is the last military stronghold on Earth." It wasn't a question, but fact. Sam recalled the bulldozers, the land moving equipment, their cabin being dismantled and rebuilt three years before the invasion. She could see herself giving orders and hovering over computerized blueprints.

"My God! The Prometheus II is here below us, under the pond! And Atlantis—was beneath the Pacific, no. The plan was . . ." She rubbed her temples, then looked at Jack who wore his Black Ops face, which made Sam more confident. "If Earth were compromised, Atlantis would return to defend it and submerge beneath Lake Michigan. But, but that's not exactly how it went down. Atlantis was attacked by highbred Wraith and came here to escape them, unwittingly bringing the Wraith along. You're concealing Atlantis' existence from the Replicators and Wraith, because it's our last defense!"

She heard Jack's breath hitch before he turned away, once more patting his clothes for a cigarette.

"I'm right, aren't I?" She snatched his sleeve, her nails digging into his forearm. She felt him flinch and he turned towering over her. His dark hooded eyes concealed, his jaw worked, his lower lip flattened, the furrow between his eyebrows sliced crater deep. His lips formed his typecast 'O'Neill' open-mouth expression that made her day. Yes!

Sam was on a role. "There's a military base right under our nose. You're not out riding patrol during the day. You don't have to. You use the rings to go two miles underground. Why didn't I remember? This place was my design!"

"Yeah, the second SGC base was your brainchild, Carter. The location, my idea. I was shocked that Chiefs of Staff swallowed the idea." A hesitant smile lightened his weathered face. "Solid rock below us just like the Rocky Mountains. I named it JACOB for Jack's Alternate Cabin Operations Base."

Sam balked. That was dumbest title she'd ever heard, but she loved the sentimental link. "Oh my!" She shook her head and softly laughed. "And the Stargate?"

"Here." His mouth lifted another notch, that left dimple tucking deeper.

"And the force field, security parameters and check points cover more than a few hundred acres?"

He grinned wider. "Yeah. It originally covered three states, but even with two ZPMs we couldn't maintain that much area against the Replicators. For now it encompasses a two hundred mile radiance that's so strong, I feel confidently safe. We're working our way south toward Duluth and north to the Canadian border."

"Then you detected my arrival and let me through?"

"Yes." He sighed out. "Just didn't expect to run you over. Checkpoint Charlie spotted you at the vagrant's camp, thirty miles south. Actually, they're —"

"Military personal?"

"Yeah, a hodgepodge of Air Force, Sailor, Marines and GI's. Amazing you didn't recognize Walter."

"Was he wearing a grungy wig, beard, pierced nose and ears and hippie beads?"

"Ah yes, man of many faces." Jack nodded his silver head.

"Well, his rendition of 'We Shall Overcome' really threw me off. He can sing! I thought he looked familiar, no wonder he stayed clear of me."

"Yep, the poor guy, nearly crapped his pants when you rode in and stayed the night. Promoted him to Major last year."

"You can do that with an enlisted man?"

"Fer cryin'out loud, Carter." He rolled his eyes. "As the highest ranked living general I can do anything I want. We're the last standing Outpost in North America. Although the Russians have one in Antarctica but we haven't heard from them in months. Far as we know there's no national heads of state alive, and if there are, they haven't put up a billboard. I'm still waiting for Kinsey to show his greasy white snakehead."

"Jack, Kinsey's dead. Thor said that was just a hoax of Fifth's."

"Apparently not. Kinsey's been spotted over a dozen times by reliable sources, including Baal."

"Since when is Baal a reliable source?"

"Long-long story." He expanded his arms and gulped.

"But Kinsey would be in his eighties by now."

"Apparently Kinsey's not aged a day since he escaped after his abduction by the Goa'uld infested Trust."

"Taneth?"

"Yeah. Seems he's gotten a following of minor Goa'uld lords. But they're not hanging around the Milky Way because of the Wraith and Replicators."

"That's a relief."

Jack snorted. "For now. Just like the Wraith, the Goa'uld got all the time in the world, our world." He sniffed and rubbed his blue-shadowed jaw.

"Yeah." She breathed out and leaned against the porch rail. A long silence ensued and she turned to find him inches away, watching her with the strangest look. "So can I ask how many personnel are at the new SGC?"

"You can, but I'll save you the effort. Last head count, around five hundred folks. But only half are military and government employees. The rest are refuges and the numbers growing. Fortunately, Doctor Lee's got a working hydro-farm and we can produce our own produce year round. Thanks to the Tok'ra's tunneling process, it's a fricking metropolis down there."

"Wow!" Sam sighed out. "This is unbelievable."

"Yeah. There's that." He grinned.

"And Atlantis?"

"She got hit bad before she entered the atmosphere. It's taken all this time to get her back up to a hundred percent. Rodney's been developing a new form of energy to replace their dying ZPM."

"You got to be kidding?"

"Oh, please, me kid about McKay? Never."

Sam sobered. "So then my memories are false. Washington D.C., hiding out at the Pentagon, Janet still alive, Jonas Hanson?"

"Hanson?" Jack quirked a brow. "Not if you're thinking over twenty years ago."

"No. A few months back . . .he was alive and—"

"Crap, Carter! Captain Hanson got killed the first year we were SG-1 on PX-something or another. He thought he was God and . . ."

"Had forced the inhabitants to built a tower—"

"Yeah." Arms akimbo he cocked his head and moved closer. Something basic flickered in his keen brown eyes and made her hot. Sam trailed a finger along her damp neckline. She was burning up. Overhead, the brilliance of a gold harvest moon blocked out the stars. Man, this felt like when she'd had the Broca virus. Last week she'd heard Cass discuss the Ancient DNA mate bonding with Daniel. Sam wondered if that's what she was feeling. If so, she wasn't ready to deal with it or Jack.

"I'm so messed up, Jack." She put up a hand of warning. She wanted him so bad. Man, this felt like when she'd had the Broca virus. She blinked to shove away the livid memory of jumping a naked Colonel Jack O'Neill in the locker room. Ramming her tongue down his throat and--

"We all are, Samantha." He rescued her from her sultry memory.

He'd called her Samantha!

"No, you're right. I can't be trusted and somehow you've go to find out if Fifth planted a bug or a bomb in me."

"He probably did." Another footfall closer. Salty sweat wet her upper lip.

"Well test me or something," she said with frustration as her right heel hit the support beam. Heart rapping against her chest, Sam glanced about for a means of escape. The porch swing was just feet away and then the door. Another memory—sitting on Jack's lap in that swing, making passionate love so many times . . . Geez, was she in heat or what? And why'd that make complete sense?

"If we had the proper equipment we could, but that got destroyed at the SGC." His sexy lisp sent a shudder up her spine. "We're winging it." His voice had softened and he was just inches away. Sam looked up into his seductive dark eyes and sought another distraction.

"Um, what about Atlantis?"

"They're not in any better shape."

"The Asgard?"

"Haven't heard from them in years." Jack grazed a blunt fingertip across her cheek. His touch was electrifying and shot to her breasts and then her aching womanhood. Glory, she could almost orgasm from his touch. Never, ever had another man unhinged her this way. What was wrong with her—with them?

"Tok'ra. I err--remember they were brought onboard the O'Neill III."

"Yes, minus their technology. Believe me, they were not then nor continue to be happy campers regarding that blooper. And they're dying off . . ." He yanked off his flannel as if he were hot.

"Surely Thor had equipment?" Sam watched the play of tight muscles beneath his t-shirt. She shut her eyes and gritted her teeth to avoid the urge to touch them.

"Not our--my ship, he didn't. Something about the Replicators not being attracted to the less technical advanced ships anymore. Apparently their appetites have expanded."

"Wait weren't there Asgards on Atlantis?" Yes, another subject to detour her basic instincts toward this man. Maybe she'd run some complicated equations through her head? One plus one is two. Oy vey!

"Yes. No. According to Sheppard they were beamed off before they entered Earth's orbit. No idea why, except maybe they went back to the battlefront of their home colonies." His hands curled around her shoulders and he intently drew her against him. She stared up into his face that was too close for comfort. Jack looked at where his hands were then let go and stepped back. He looked as unwired as she felt.

"Crap!" She spouted.

"Ya think." He sniffed and scratched his lower back, then flexed his shoulders. Somehow she didn't think they were talking about the Asgard.

"So you're just going to wait and see?" Her body inched closer of its own accord. She could smell him and even over the disgusting tobacco, her lungs liked what she inhaled. The delicious ache in her womanhood heightened. Man, what was wrong with her?

"Yep. Not much choice. Besides if you are bugged and I take you below, Fifth will have a way in."

"Unless you moved the transporter rings in the cabin and the barn, I already know how to access JACOB, Jack." She lied.

"And your point is?"

"Send the kids somewhere I won't find them_." Good, Sam, talk about your children. That's liable to kill any thoughts of copulation. No, wait, that's how you got six children! _

"No. This is the safest place for them. They know this land and the base like the back of their hands. I've made sure. They know how to defend themselves. They're all crack shots, including Grace and JJ. The can survive here and avoid capture. But if I send them away, they'll be endangered."

"That's bullshit!" She shook a fist at him. "I'm a danger to them, to you and this entire Outpost. I'm leaving." _Yes, that'll solve everything, Sam, including your burning lust for him. _

"To hell you are!"

"I'm already there, Jack! For crying out loud, I probably hadn't been on Earth more than a few days and Fifth had me believing I'd never left, minus married to you with a family. Who knows what other lies he's planted in my head. Could be a bomb for all we know! Remember what Nirrti did to Cassandra?"

"I remember because of your love and determination we stopped Nirrti and saved Cassandra. You saved our daughter. Hell, you've saved the planet and me countless times. Now let me save you."

Before she could stop him, Jack reached out and drew her into a vise-like embrace.

"Please don't!" she pleaded as he crushed her against his chest and held on for dear life.

"No! For over two years you've known about this Outpost and didn't give in to Fifth. God only knows what he did to you but he's yet to find us out, Samantha."

"He could already know, erased my memory, just be bidding his time. Remember time means nothing to him." She gazed up at him.

"Then that's a chance I'm willing to take."

Now let's go to bed, Mrs. O'Neill."

"Jack?" she said into his shirt's front, inhaling the essence of him, desiring him more than life. "What's going on between us—physically? Why have I wanted to make love to you since the first time I saw you? Why has it grown stronger every passing day and now with the full moon I—"

"Wanna jump my bones?"

"Well I wasn't going to be that crude, but yes--." She blushed while her pelvis made contact with his right hip. "That's what I'm talking about." She reluctantly pulled away.

"It's a long story. But let's just say the fact you're coming sexually unhinged under a harvest moon is reassuring."

"Then this is natural between us?"

"Oh, yeah." He chuckled and his dimples tucked deep along his rare smile. A breeze rustled the autumn leaves and Jack inhaled then blew out as if exasperated. "Geez, woman, I'm downwind of your scent. If I were a buck, I'd be banging a tree by now." He tugged the hem of his t-shirt but not before Sam noticed the bulge he tried to conceal.

"Well that explains. . . " Why her breasts ached and her nipples were constantly erect, not to mention the wet heat between her legs that'd been none-stop all week.

"I remember being branded as Ancients," She took a tentative step toward him. "So, is this thing between us an Ancient curse?"

"It could be if we weren't able to well, ya know." He coughed and looked away.

"Then it's normal for Ancients?" She thought about what her children had said.

"Yep, we used to make love every day unless one of us was sick or something," he sounded uncomfortable talking this intimate. "And once a month you'd go into heat . . . and we um, well we hardly left the bedroom for a good week."

Sam coughed. "That's not natural."

"For us it is. That Ancient DNA thing ya know."

She couldn't think of anything to say except, "A whole week?"

"Give or take a few days, sometimes longer. Once we start we've got like tunnel vision, nothing else matters. Let's just say rabbits got nothing up on the single-minded procreation of the Ancients."

"So it's not about love and pleasure?"

"Oh, contraire." H moved in and sniffed her hair, inadvertently his erection touched her. Sam struggled the urge to pounce and take him right here, right now. In the back of her steam filled mind, she heard him talking and that he sounded winded.

"Ancient marital bonding has everything to do with satisfying each other's need to join as one . . .to give and receive pleasure. Babies can be an obvious result of that union . . .but the physical bonding actually insures our health and longevity. Something about the exchange of DNA. Actually Daniel can explain it better."

"That's okay I'll pass." Sam thought talking would cool her libido. It did just the opposite. Her need to get naked with her husband was all she could think about. When she looked up she found him no longer smiling.

"Something's wrong?"

Jack cradled her face between his large calloused hands and nodded. "Yes, but nothing time can't fix, Dorothy."

"Dorothy again?" She tipped her head and gazed up at him. "I should remember that. It means more than a Halloween outfit?"

"Yes." He sniffed a breath. "In time."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, but maybe you're not remembering will be to our advantage." He trailed a hand down the underside of her breasts and extracted a sigh.

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Sam, there's a reason I haven't kissed or touched you until now."

"I'm listening." She tipped her head up to his that was so near now. Man, she wanted him!

"Once we start bonding there's little chance we'll be able to stop even if one of us wants too. It's that genetic cycle thingy. We join not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. And there's zero inhibitions. Anything goes. Sorta reminds me of the Broca virus. Our love making can range from gentle to well, um pretty wild. The Ancients call it Sha'rutt."

"I know."

His brown eyes rounded up. "You do?"

"Yes."

"Well, until our physiological needs are sated, we—"

"Okay." She nodded, surrendering to her raging hormones as she started to tug his t-shirt above his waist. Whatever was happening to her would put a typical teenager to shame.

Jack snagged her hand as it crept beneath his shirt. "You're sure?" she heard the strain in his husky voice and could not imagine how he could have so much self control.

"Yes." She kissed his whiskered jaw.

"It will change everything between us, Sam. I mean everything. I'm burning up with Sha'rutt for you. You drive me crazy!"

"I do?"

"No. Daniel does." He snorted, pressing his manhood against her.

"Funny." Sam giggled, pressing back with mutual need.

"Yes, well my warped sense of humor heightens when I'm horny."

Another giggle shot out of her mouth while her body unconsciously molded to Jack's lean muscular frame. Sam felt dizzy and giddy. She wished he'd kiss her, brand her right here on the front porch under the moon's intoxicating affect.

As if to ensure they were alone Jack glanced both ways then back at her. His lips parted, his brown eyes dilated, He was about to kiss her—she thought, hoped. _Please?_

"Please what?" he asked in a guttural primal tone. Sam shivered with want and inhaled his intoxicating breath. Pheromones! Strange there wasn't a hint of cigarettes.

"Make love to me, Jack."

"Thought you'd never ask." He smirked and to her surprise dipped her and kissed her with a lustful passion she'd only known in her dreams. When his hot tongue teased her lips for invitation her parted. She moaned as he invaded her tasting, searching and demanding. Sam swore she felt their DNA blend and then merge as one. That's when it happened. She now experienced something that had happened between her and the Ancient Orlin once. An encounter she'd never have agreed to had she known the true intimacy involved. Sam's only solace was that she and Orlin never had physically sex.

In pleasured shock Sam's eyes flew open to find a golden white aura enveloping her and Jack. Another memory unraveled. She'd experienced this pleasurable phenomenon with Jack hundreds of times in the past. She pulled back and stared wide-eyed at him. "Holy buckets!"

"Yeah," he mused grinning. "And that's just the opening act."

"Man, I'm seeing stars!" Weak-kneed she leaned into him and clung tightly.

"Oh, you ain't seen nothin' yet, Mrs. O'Neill." He scooped her into his arms, carried her inside, up to their bedroom and closed the door.

In the shadows of the family room Teal'c sat cross-legged on the floor meditating. Donning a smile, the Jaffa muttered, "It is about fricking time, O'Neill."

End of Chapter 12


	13. Chapter 13

Never Say Never Chapter Thirteen

"I've got it!" Rodney declared with a smug smile as he danced into the conference room interrupting a meeting that included Daniel and Elizabeth Sheppard. His smile faltered as his gaze locked on the General sitting at the head of the table.

An eight-year-old child propped on his lap, Harry Maybourne scowled at McKay's ecstatic entrance and bellowed, "Whatever you've got will have to wait. Now leave. This is a private meeting, Doctor McKay." Harry made a shooing motion with his hands. Holding a toy ball, the child kissed Harry's cheek, scrabbled off his lap and rushed for the door, but not before kicking Rodney in the shines.

"Ow!" Rodney whined. "You've got a bunch of spoiled brats, Harry!"

"It's General Maybourne to you, Doctor." Harry stood and glared across the room.

"Oh, give it up already. Unlike Jack, I don't forgive or forget so easily. You're a paper solider, Harry. And you're also part of the reason this world has gone to the Wraith and Replicators in a handbag."

"That's it!"

Ready to do battle, both men rounded the table toward each other. Instinctively, Daniel and Elizabeth shot to their feet to intervene.

"Now guys." Daniel glanced from one man to the other.

Harry and Rodney glared at the other but thankfully backed off.

"Thank you," Elizabeth said exhaling a breath and sitting down.

Taking his chair, Daniel wished the week of Sha'rutt over with. Unlike Jack and Sam, he and Cassandra had bonded for days and were now able to function normally, well, except at night. The flicker of a smile tugged his lips.

It'd be three more nights before Jack resumed his post. And by the exasperated expression on Elizabeth's face she felt the same. A week of Maybourne cracking the whip was bad enough, but add ego maniac McKay and it was a recipe for disaster. Not that Jack would ever place someone incapable in a command position.

Though his selfish nature was not entirely gone, Harry had come full circle with his life. Apparently having three wives and a dozen children the reason. As Jack's 2IC Harry was level headed and made rational decisions. Just that when McKay ruffled Harry's feathers or visa versa it wasn't pretty. Daniel would be talking to Jack ASAP about the matter.

"I insist talking to Jack."

"General O'Neill's on downtime," Harry stated before Daniel could speak up. "So whatever you've got can wait or tell me."

"I'm not telling you anything, Maybourne. Is this coffee fresh?" he asked Elizabeth as he grabbed the pot and poured a cup.

She nodded and rolled her eyes. "Look Rodney, General O'Neill can't be disturbed right now."

Rodney sipped from his cup. "I'm not Ancient physiology blind, Elizabeth. I understand the rite of Sha'rutt. I know that with Sam's return they are shacked up doing the nasty."

Three sets of eyes stared at him.

"I mean, well, um," he cleared his voice. "Look, it's important that General O'Neill knows I've determine how to detect whether or not Colonel Carter's got a Replicator bug in her head. I made some alterations to the Za'tarc program."

"Well, why didn't tell me that in the first place?" Harry shot to his feet.

"Does loathing your guts count?"

00000

**It's All Coming Back To Me Now . . .**

There were nights when the wind was so cold  
That my body froze in bed  
If I just listened to it  
Right outside the window

There were days when the sun was so cruel  
That all the tears turned to dust  
And I just knew my eyes were  
Drying up forever

I finished crying in the instant that you left  
And I can't remember where or when or how  
And I banished every memory you and I had ever made

But when you touch me like this  
And you hold me like that  
I just have to admit  
That it's all coming back to me  
When I touch you like this  
And I hold you like that  
It's so hard to believe but  
It's all coming back to me  
(It's all coming back, it's all coming back to me now)

00000

Locked in a spooning embrace, every inch of his body connected with hers, Jack watched his love-sated wife sleep. Unconsciously, he inhaled the musky perfume of their spent passion. It saturated everything in their dimly-lit bedroom. Jack sniffed her hair. Wow! John-John restlessly stirred. Down, old man. Give her time. A crocked smirk deepened as he brushed a kiss across her naked shoulder, contemplating the array of golden freckles on her shapely body that were for his eyes only. Jack tightened his arm beneath her firm round breasts. Sam murmured and pressed her derriere against his alert groin. Counting to ten, Jack held his breath until her breathing returned to normal. Exhaling through his mouth, he shut his tired eyes.

They'd indulged hours of ceaseless lovemaking before they'd literally collapsed in each other arms two hours ago. Even Ancients couldn't go on forever, he mused. His fever and want for her had eased a bit. The calm before the storm. Still Jack physically ached to be joined with her. Who needed Viagra, he snorted. For now he would restrain his need and let her rest. For when night once more fell they'd start over. If there was any consolation to the Ancient rite of Sha'rutt, it was that this time they'd avoided each other for five days before caving. He wondered if they'd broken a record. According to Daniel's research bonded couples rarely avoided Sha'rutt, and to do so for prolonged periods could cause a stroke or heart-attack in one or both mates. Ah, the ups and downs of being Ancient, he smirked.

Tired as he was Jack couldn't sleep. Since Sam's arrival he'd shoved his previous concerns and nightmares of the horrors she'd endured as Fifth's prisoner from his mind. He knew if he'd dwelt in that darkness he'd forfeit his objective edge. With forty years in the military Jack had learned to compartmentalize issues—put them in a mental box and toss the key, until and if, he chose to redress the matter.

During his Black Ops days that learned-mindset had saved his life countless times, but had also hurt his marriage to Sara. When Charlie died, he'd resorted to the habit of convenience and packed his heart into another sealed box. Not until Samantha entered his life did he realize he was an emotional basket case. She'd made him confront his demons and find a reason to feel again—to love.

Since her return and unknown to her, Jack had spent most nights sitting in the winged-back chair watching her sleep. Most every night, Sam's demons showed up. However, if she remembered those dreams she'd yet to tell him or anyone else. Fearing he'd do more harm than good, Jack had fought the urge to mind-meld with her. To be honest he didn't know if he could handle what he would no doubt find if he did. Fear was a powerful tool.

Having experienced first hand the atrocities Fifth and his kind had committed, he could only imagine how much worse it had been for Sam. The fact that Fifth lusted after her in his warped way had given Jack years of nightmares that no one, even Daniel knew about. How did one explain that every night you saw your wife being brutally raped by thousands of mini-robots disguised in human form, disguised as yourself.

Beside him, Sam began to thrash about and flipped over facing him, tears streamed her pale cheeks. Still asleep, she cried out. "No! Please, Fifth, stop—not again!"

Jack broke! Tears sluiced down his face. Holding Sam, he spoke, then sang comfortingly to her,

"Just when I believed I couldn't ever want for more  
This ever changing world pushes me through another door  
I saw you smile and my mind could not erase the beauty of your face

Just for a while won't you let me shelter you  
"Hold onto the night  
Hold on to the memories  
I wish that I could give you something more  
and I could be yours

"How do we explain something that took us by surprise  
Promises invade love that is real but in disguise  
What happens now do we break another rule  
and let our lovers play the fool  
I don't know how to stop feeling this way..."

Sam clung harder and through tears called out, "Ja-ack?"

"I'm here, babe." He nuzzled her neck.

"Sing?" she whispered as she curled into him, alerting him she'd awakened from the dream.

"Sure." He swiped his palm over his wet face and continued.

"Hold onto the night  
Hold onto the memories  
If only I could give you something more

"Well, I think that I've been true to everybody else but me  
and the way I feel about you makes my heart long to be free  
Every time I look into your eyes I'm helplessly aware  
That the someone I've been searching for is right there . . .

"Hold onto the night  
Hold onto the memories  
I wish that I could give you more  
Whoa . . .Hold onto the night."

00000

Sam was glowing. Stretching out on their bed she was surprised not to bump into at least four of their six kids. Strange how she realized Jack had gotten the six munchkins he'd stated to want all those years back at the White House Halloween ball. So long ago and so close to her heart. Twenty years seemed like yesterday.

Between love making matches, he'd explained that Teal'c had taken the kids to his house, allowing them privacy during Sha'rutt.

"Morning, beautiful." The man of her thoughts caressed her hair.

"Hey there, handsome." She smiled back nuzzling into his embrace.

"Oy, love truly is blind." He snorted.

"Ya think." She giggled ruffling his bed-head hair.

"Yeah, but just don't smell my breath."

"Was that a hint?" Sam held the sheet to her face.

Jack tugged the sheet from her face and sniffed. "Smells like roses to me." He coughed into his hand causing Sam to slug him.

"Ouch!"

"Guess I'm human." She leaned over and sniffed his breath, crinkling her nose. "And so are you."

"Funny." He huffed. "So sleep okay?" He yawned and waggled a dark brow.

"Like a rock except when a dirty old general wasn't jumping my bones."

"Wow, aren't we romantic."

"I seem to remember you liked when I talked dirty, sir."

"Glad you remember the important things, Carter." He kissed her chin.

"Carter and sir?" she sighed. "Is that special between us?"

"Yes, especially when we make love or I just plain screw you silly." He winked, that left dimple tucking deep, another reason Sam loved him.

"Ah, so we liked military games, huh?" She traced a fingertip along one dimple and then the other, extracting a groan.

"Sure did, Colonel. Sometimes, we um. . . .role played or made believe you were still a captain or major and I was a colonel and we . . .er um would break the regs on duty."

"On duty?" Sam swore he was blushing. Not often one saw a blushing Jack O'Neill. "So although we're married the regulations don't apply?"

"Nope. Haven't for years. President Hayes made special arrangements for us during his term. But since the invasion nothing's written in stone anymore."

"I see. So whom do I answer to now?"

"Me most of the time, Maybourne, when I'm off duty."

"You gotta be kidding." She bolted upright.

"Sorry, but the general pickings are slim now a days. Sheppard runs Atlantis. So after Landry got killed last year I made Harry a Brigadier General. And before you start protesting, he's been totally above board."

"Well that's a surprise." She eyed him suspiciously. "What'd you threaten him with?"

"Me threaten? Nah, never?" He avoided her inquiring look.

"Yeah, right?" She laughed. "Why am I so not believing you, sir?"

"Sir?" His hand caressed her inner right thigh and it parted for him.

"Um, whatcha doing, General?"

"Making up for lost time," he winked and dove for her lips.

The door crashed open and four laughing children ran for the bed wielding pillows.

"Incoming! Duck!" Jack yelled.

Before she could react Sam was attacked by squirming toddlers and two kids too big to be jumping on beds, but did.

"Pillow fight!" Jack sat up yanked the pillow out from under Sam's head and hit her-gently. To her delight she got slugged from every direction. Sam was finally home!

0000

Looking for Jack, Sam left the cabin and strolled the spacious yard. She spotted the vegetable garden and headed that way. He'd given her access to everything now, well all but the transporter rings and the new SGC beneath them.

Although it went against her nature Sam settled, hoping once Jack was convinced she hadn't been compromised, she'd have more liberties. Wandering passed the wooded yard and garden, she saw that trees had been cleared and acres of harvested corn expanded out before her. Several head of cattle grazed the fields eating the fallen corn cornels and flattened stalks that'd not been processed for silage. In the distance she spotted several John Deer Combine-units working the standing cornrows while two semi-trucks waited to be filled with the harvested corn.

"Wow!"

"Yeah, it's something." Cassandra came alongside her pulling off her work gloves.

"Who?"

"Dad's idea."

"Why am I not surprised?" She smiled and extended her hand to her eldest daughter.

Cassandra hesitated then accepted Sam's offering they strolled hand-in-hand.

"But I thought fossil fuel was limited."

"It is. Thanks to your previous research and development, our science teams rebuilt the farm machinery to operate with refined Naquadah generators."

Sam smiled and shook her head. "That's amazing."

"Yes it is. About twenty families live above ground, most SGC employees who alternate shifts at the facility below. Over three thousand acres of corn, wheat, hay and soybean are grown here. There's five other farms under the force field's dome. Everything else is produced below in a hydro-plant Doctor Lee manages."

"Jack told me."

Cassandra looked surprised.

"I mean about the hydro-gardening. This," she gestured around with a look of admiration. "I'd no idea. He was behind this."

"Yes well, dad's far smarter than we give him credit. He's made certain we know how to live off the land. And we have. Right now we have some conveniences but most often we go without. Winters are hard. Refuges seek us out before the first snow flies and Dad won't turn anyone away."

"No he wouldn't." Sam sighed in understanding and pride.

"Nor would you." Cass smiled at her.

"Never."

"Yet Daniel said there was a time dad did just that."

Sam halted and stared at her daughter. "I only recall once when Jack reacted that way. Although I didn't agree with him then, I understood his reason."

"Dad let someone die on purpose, I mean someone who couldn't fight back?"

"Yes." Sam recalled their mission to the planet Eurondu and the underground racist society that Alar had lead. The man was Hitler incarnated. She'd never forget when Alar had pleaded to return to Earth, promising them all the knowledge he possessed in exchange for his life. Jack ordered Sam through the gate and followed. As soon as they had stepped into the Gate Room, Jack ordered Walter to close the Iris. They knew Alar had followed them.

The Iris shut. When Alar collided with the Iris, the glacier glint in Jack's dark eyes met her stunned expression. For a painful moment they stared at each other. It'd been one of the rare times she wondered if he had a heart. Sam had turned and walked away. That traumatic incident strained their relationship for weeks.

"I find that hard to believe," said Cass.

"We all have dark sides, Cass, but you must realize your father believed he'd made the right decision."

"And did he?"

"I'd like to think so." Sam cleared her throat, wishing to end the morbid discussion.

"I know dad's had to do some horrible things and so have you, but to deliberately leave someone behind." Cass shook her brown head.

"He did it to Fifth," Sam said with a bitter voice that surprised her.

"There's no comparison, Mom. Fifth's not human, he's . . ."

"What?" Sam set a glint on her daughter's incredulous expression.

"A damned Replicator! Not to mention he and his kind are out to destroy the galaxy, Earth, and all Tau'ri. Holy Hannah, that thing abducted you for over two years!"

"You're right. I'm sorry. Can we talk about something else?" Sam shifted her weight.

"Sure." Cassandra eyed her up before directing her back toward the cabin's front yard. "Have you seen the barn and livestock? We've got goats, chickens, turkeys, some hogs, and had eighteen calves birth this spring. Most of them are heifers that we'll sell to the dairy farmers. We've also got two milking cows, a dozen horses, six of them are racers."

"Racers?" She looked up.

"Yeah, Thoroughbred race horses that we use for dispatch and to outrun the Wraith and if the time ever comes, the Replicaters."

"Why horses?"

"Like dogs and cats, horses can detect the Wraith and Replicators."

"Oh. Okay, so where's Jack?"

"Oh, well as you know he's been on downtime all week." Cass cleared her throat and looked at her feet."

"So have you and Daniel." Sam smirked at her daughter's self-awareness.

"Yes, well, we're fine now. Daniel's been on base the last few days."

"Ah." Sam smiled back.

"As for dad, well unless there's an emergency, he and the neighbors log and chop wood every Wednesday. We're expecting a hard winter."

"What about the solar energy unit I installed before . . ." she closed her eyes trying to remember.

"Oh we use it, but most of the topside families don't have that luxury. Besides, we prefer to balance with both resources. It just takes adjusting back to the woodstove and ovens in the winter. But there's something about living like this, it's simple and . . ."

"Sweet." Sam halted and looked at her daughter.

"Yeah." Cassandra blushed. "Exactly that."

"You really are your father's daughter, Cassandra Jackson."

"Guess I am. I'm also your daughter, Mom. And I missed you."

"I missed you too, sunshine." She drew Cass into her arms and hugged her.

"Did you?" Cassandra asked against her shoulder.

"What kind of question is that?" Sam pulled back offended.

"I'm just saying. It's strange that you're starting to remember your past, but not what Fifth did to you."

"I told you what I know. Fifth erased my memories and then placed false ones of how I spent the last three years. There's no way to determine what are false or real memories, except by what you guys tell me."

"I'd like you to consider the Zatarc test, Mom. It might help you—"

"No!" Sam swept her hands through the air. "I refuse to undergo that humiliating Tok'ra lie detector test again!"

"Mom? This isn't the same. It's not like we think you're a Zat'arc. And Doctor McKay made some adjustments to the Tok'ra's machine. It might help you remember what Fifth did . . ."

"No!" Sam stalked off. "I can't believe you'd even suggest such an idea."

"It wasn't my idea, Mom."

"Who's then?" Sam turned and glared at Cassandra.

"Dad's."

0000

Sam glanced at the kitchen clock and frowned. The twins had been sleeping for almost three hours this afternoon. She knew if they didn't wake up soon, they'd be a pain to get to bed tonight. Sam tiptoed into the darkened room, lifted the window shades, then walked over to their adjoining cribs. As usual, they'd come together in Janet's crib, one occupying each side of the bed. They're beautiful, she sighed, reaching down and stroking first Jacob's then Janet's hair.

Sam leaned over and traced a fingertip down Jacob's face to his neck. There was so much of Jack in this little boy, including his dimples. Something flashed in Sam's head. She saw someone's hands strangling her son and then her daughter.

Jacob's brown eyes snapped open. He looked fearfully up at her and then cried out, "Don't, Mommy!"

Janet awoke and scurried over tugging Jacob against her. The toddlers looked alarmed at Sam. She reached down to comfort them. The next moment she was flying across the room and hit the floor hard.

"Dear God, I'm sorry!" Sam scrabbled to her feet as her children clung to each other. "I'd never hurt you!" Unnerved, Sam fled into her bedroom. She laid there shaking, expecting Jack or someone to charge in and zat her. Nothing happened and sleep embraced her.

Sam awoke with a jolt. She rubbed her tear stained face, straightened her shoulders and walked back to the twin's room, hoping it'd all been a dream.

Their bedroom still dark, someone was sobbing. She opened the shades and turned around. Huddled in their playhouse the crying twins stared in fear of her.

"We want Daddy!" Jacob cried.

"He's not here, hon. But Mom is." Sam reached out to them.

"No! Go away! You're not our mommy!" Janet accused.

Shaken to the core, Sam covered her open mouth, backed out of the bedroom and dropped against the far wall. Holy Hannah! What if they were right?

End of Chapter Thirteen


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:

DEAREST READERS, SORRY FOR THIS LONG DELAY. BUT EVERY THING'S ABOUT TO CLIMAX, SO PLEASE HANG IN THERE WITH SAM AND JACK!! AND PLEEEZE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. FEEDBACK PLEASE???

00000

"Jack, are you coming to bed?" Sam stood alluringly in their bedroom doorway, wearing nothing.

Talking on his com to Maybourne, Jack held up a hand and winked suggestively as she turned and sashayed toward their bed.

"Look, Harry, I'm sorta busy. This can wait until tomorrow." Although the cycle of Sha'rutt was winding down, Jack and Sam's libido were still in high form.

"Jack, are you listening to me?" Harry spoke through Jack's lapel com.

"Yes, Harry, I heard you," he answered with annoyance.

"So you going to bring Sam here so we can test her with Zat'arc?"

"No. It's safer if you bring the contraption to the cabin tomorrow at 1400 hours."

"Okay, I'll tell McKay. And Jack?"

"What?" Jack yawned.

"Chill, willya."

"Sure, Harry, sure." Grinning, Jack clicked off the com walked into his bedroom and shut the door.

00000

"Samantha?"

"Jack?"

"Ya think?"

She blinked and looked around her. They were standing on a circular surface within a bright shaft of blue light. His hands jammed in his jean pockets, Jack wore a white pullover and black leather jacket. She loved that jacket. So sexy.

"Hey, Carter?" He grinned, his dimples tucking deep into his tanned face.

"Um, sorry, sir." She blushed.

"So did you find the traitor?" his voice altered to that of Fifth's.

"Yes."

"And he does not suspect you?"

"No. He believes I'm his wife Samantha O'Neill, so well that I almost believe it myself."

"You know of course you are not." Jack's smile flat lined.

"Of course, my dearest Fifth. I know I am yours and to you I will be forever linked."

"Excellent." He reached for her and she stepped into his arms and he nuzzled her neck.

"But sometimes . . .?"

"What?" He pulled back and stared down at her.

"I swear when I'm awake I am Samantha O'Neill. I mean my memories are so vivid, the older kids, giving birth to the twins."

"Seems so real?" He cradled her face and she saw Jack's tender gaze, felt his understanding.

"Yes."

"Remember that is because you downloaded the information directly from the real Samantha before we eliminated her?"

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot." Sam habitably chewed her lower lip. "And my body. I not only feel but I experience hunger and thirst. I bleed, sweat, and produce body fluids." Heat warmed her face. "It's amazing!"

"Yes, our brethren have finally evolved into the image of the Tau'ri. You my greatest creation have proven our superiority over these inferior fools. And once you are returned to us, we will clear your mind of Samantha Carter and you will be yourself again, Sam2. You will become my life mate, my chosen heart."

"I look forward to it." She smiled for him.

"Now you know what must be done?"

"Yes." She stepped back, but they continued to hold hands. "O'Neill's agreed to take me to the base. From there I will disable the force field that prevents our brethren from penetrating the facility. Once that happens, we can destroy the Wraith that prevent us from conquering Earth and this galaxy."

"I'm pleased with your progress, Samantha." He caressed her cheek.

"I know." She leaned into his loving touch, "But I miss you so much, my beloved."

"Be patient. Soon we shall be together forever and rule not just this galaxy, but the universe."

"I only need you, Fifth." She reached out and toyed with his unruly silver hair.

"And I you. Always, Samantha, always."

And he kissed her.

00000

His breath catching in his throat, heart pounding like a drum, Jack opened his eyes and stared at the woman asleep in his arms. Trying not to gag, he eased from her Replicator arms and stole out of the bedroom and then the house. He made to the front porch, leaned over the wooden rail and puked, praying no one heard. Limbs shaking, out of control, his stomach muscles painfully coiled and uncoiled like a slithering snake. Jack fought the desire to drop to his unsteady knees. Naked, clenching his stomach he ran to the pier and dove into the pond's icy embrace. There, he reached for the bar of soap that rested on a lower plank of the dock and began scrubbing his skin hard, especially his groin and lower.

Dear Lord in Heaven! He'd made love to a Replicator! He'd kissed, caressed and loved her in every intimate way known to man and Ancient. And she/it had done the same to him. As specific images of their lovemaking flashed through his mind's eye Jack's gut pitched with dry heaves so painful that tears streamed down his face. Hanging onto the pier's frame, his anger turned to agony. Still his Ancient makeup desired her, still, needed to be joined with her. He cursed the pleasant ache then glanced at the moon and cursed its existence. It figured that Fifth had mimicked the real Sam Carter right down to her genetic code for Sha'rutt. Fifth had managed to transfer Samantha's DNA code into RepliCarter's-2. That scrap heap even smelled like Sam, which drove him insane. Why hadn't he seen this coming?

Even before he'd almost tromped her to death two weeks ago, Jack had suspected that with Fifth's return, Sam would appear. He'd been right. He'd even been prepared for her being a Replicator, but the moment he saw her bruised head, felt the pulse of her beating heart, smelled the essence that belonged to Samantha alone, he believed his wife had returned.

What a stupid lovesick fool. How could he be so blind-sighted to not realize that sooner or later the Replicators would evolve in such minute detail that the Replicator detectors would fail to recognize them. Heck none of the dogs or horses had reacted. Not even Thor, his dog.

Jack thought about the real Thor's consciousness inside of him. He'd not spoken in a long time, even when Jack had tried to talk. Jack feared the worst, that Thor was truly dead. Jack could really use some Asgard advice about now.

So if Replicarter had slipped behind the JACOB force field, so had other Replicators. What happened to his Sam? Was she dead or alive? No! He felt sick again. She had to be alive! How else had he managed to link with her tonight? How else unless . . .

"Dad?" Charlie ventured onto the pier and stared into the dark water of the landing.

"Yeah."

"Whatcha doing?"

"Whatcha think?"

Charlie hunkered down on his bare heels and peered over the edge of the dock. Jack swam into view and placed the slippery soap bar onto the wooden slates below the dock.

"You forgot this." His son held up a thread-worn towel.

"Oh." Jack tried to keep the cold tremor from his voice but made no effort to leave the water. He felt too weak to hoist himself onto the dock. Crap, he was old.

As if sensing his father's emotional condition, Charlie walked back to the beach and returned with the rope ladder that he attached to the dock's hinges and tossed it over the side. "Give me your hand, Dad?"

Too tired to tread water Jack locked his heels on the ladder and accepted Charlie's strong grip. A moment later he squatted on the wood dock and Charlie draped the beach towel over his cold shaking shoulders.

"Its damn cold out here," Charlie commented.

Jack didn't reply. While he toweled down Charlie dropped onto his butt beside him. Jack noted the young man was in his skivvies and a t-shirt and wasn't warm either. Father and son knew each other's moods well enough and for the moment Charlie kept quiet.

Jack shook the water out of his hair and secured the towel about his waist.

"Wanna talk?" The younger O'Neill ventured.

"Nope."

"I'm your son."

"Last I checked."

"Funny." Charlie made the habitable O'Neill sniff.

Jack hedged a smile as he touched Charlie's forearm. "And what has that to do with me taking a midnight swim?"

"Everything. She's my mother and I'm supposed to love her. But I don't. In fact, I don't think she's Samantha Carter-O'Neill, but then when I suggested that you almost punched my lights out."

"Yeah, about that." Jack flinched and hugging his cold arms, turned to his son. "I should have listened to you."

"Really?" Charlie sounded incredulous.

"Yeah, and don't go all wacko 'I told ya so,' on me. This doesn't happen too often, but I messed up big time." Jack dragged a hand over his face and groaned.

"She's a Replicator." Charlie assisted Jack to his feet.

"Yes."

"You two tried to be talking heads?"

"Um, no not exactly." Jack glanced away. Man, he felt tired.

"Crap! You went in through the backdoor?"

"Yes." Bad enough he'D ordered his kids never try that underhanded, dangerous mind game. He stood and his knees creaked as he limped across the lawn toward the house. "Can we not talk about this?"

"Dad?" Charlie was on his six. "You can't just go back in there and act as if everything's okay. You've gotta take her out!"

"With what?" He turned and glared into the younger man's gaze that was equal with his own. "Loving human kindness? Don't you get it, Charlie? There is no weapon on Earth that can destroy them. Until now our greatest defense was they weren't like us, they had no souls. Now I don't know. Once we could track them, see them coming, and had a force shield they couldn't penetrate. A shield your mother developed and Doctor MacKay further perfected. Yet she . . . It waltzed right in here. And she's linked to Fifth and the rest of the Replicator brethren. We're dead meat, son!"

"So you're going to give up and let her on base?"

"Haven't decided on the base tour, yet. But give up? Never!"

Jack marched into his house and removed a pair of boxers and jogging pants from the laundry basket. After he heard Charlie's bedroom door close he checked the rest of his sleeping family. When he got to the nursery he found it empty and then checked the boys bedroom to find his four kids whom despite having their own beds were huddled in JJ's queen size bed. Kissing them, Jack slipped in between them, drew the twins to his chest, closed his weary eyes and prayed.

00000

After finding herself alone in bed, Sam strolled through the quiet O'Neill sanctuary looking for her husband. She'd earlier spotted him out on the dock with Charlie and decided not to interfere in what appeared to be a father-son moment. She expected Jack to return to their bed, when he didn't she found him asleep in JJ's bed with the other young children. Her heart experienced mixed feelings. He'd left her arms to sleep with their kids. Was that warped or what? Or was she the one with the problem? Why couldn't she bond with her children like he had? Why had the twins been so excited about her and then this afternoon accused her of not being their mother? The rest of the day they'd avoided her like she had the plague. Now her husband, who'd just made love to her, chose to sleep with their kids over her.

Swiping at a tear, Sam shuffled back to her large lonely bed, curled into a fetal position and wept, begging God to let her sleep.

00000

Jack sat up in the bed and stared at the open doorway, Sam had just occupied. His fists clenched around the bed sheets he fought the hunger to join with her again. He couldn't! That's exactly what Fifth wanted. The bug had found one of their Ancient weaknesses and used it against Jack. He inhaled and encountered Sam's scent that aroused him to a degree of madness. It'd been so long since he'd been with the real Sam, so long since he'd experienced this overwhelming physical desire. God help him, but he wanted her again, even if she was Replicarter! Clutching a pillow to his chest he rolled over and shut his eyes remembering . . .

00000

_"It's always been like this hasn't it?" Sam murmured against his heart. _

_"What?" His breath moved a hair from her earlobe. _

_"Us?" _

_"Yes." _

_"Even before SG-1?" _

_"Yes." _

_"Even before the White House Ball?" _

_"Yes." _

_"Even before—"_

_"Yes." He drew her into his arms and began to make love again._

_"Jack?" _

_"Hum?" _

_"Do you realize that other than the first four years of my life, we've always known each other?" _

_"Wrong." _

_"Huh?" She pulled back from his hot delicious lips. _

_"I was there." _

_"When?"_

_"When, you were born."_

_"Don't think so." She poked him, extracting a grunt. _

_"Your parents did tell you how and where you were born right?" _

_"Yeah. I was born in a disabled elevator at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and—My mom was all alone except for a teenager—Holy Hannah!"_

_Jack grinned back. "And that teen was a thirteen-year-old on a class trip, with a backpack that included a jackknife, duct-tape, white shoe strings, and a can of 7UP." _

_"You?"_

_"Yep." He pulled back and grinned at her. "I delivered you and was the first to hold you. I was clueless how that brief physical contact branded us. So you see, my beautiful hot wife, God bonded us as chosen hearts. You're mine, Samantha, and until God takes us home, I'm never ever going to let you go. Forever and for always."_

00000

Sam bolted upright in bed. He'd never told her this . . . at least verbally. Another memory, more recent. After they were married on Earth and after Grace had been born. In her head! He'd told her without words. That was the missing link. They were telepathic!

"_Jack?"_ She cried out in her head.

"_Wha-at?"_ Came his fuzzy voice as if he were yawning.

"_I'm not a Replicator!"_

No response.

"_Jack, for mercy sakes, please, you must believe me. We've been bonded since I was born in a Chicago elevator! Forever and for always." _

The bedroom door swung opened and he stood there bare-chested in his sweats staring at her in the moonlight. Sam froze as he stepped into the room and then shut the door, erasing the moonlight from the room.

He strode toward her with fierce determination. She sensed his rage and something else. Lust! She'd earlier realized during their lovemaking that they'd behaved like sex-starved teenagers and her need for him had only been partially satisfied.

She'd originally gone to find him because well, she'd wanted him again. Even more she needed him, needed that physical bond and to appease an appetite only he could satisfy. She'd yet to remember that part of their relationship, but she instinctively knew that sex with Jack O'Neill was always high on her priority list. Although the rite of Sha'rutt was declining, she would always desire him.

Even after she'd found him with their kids, the ache hadn't left. Still her emotions had driven her to crying and eventually into that strange fitful dream. Now he stood here and she could smell pure testosterone. Two more steps he was shoving her into the bedding and, oh wow! He yanked her PJ top off, her panties followed as she heard their fabric tear. Her vision blurred as he took her like a starving man.

00000

A loud pounding sound awoke Sam. Tangled in the sheets, she rolled over in the large bed to find herself alone. No Jack or children. She was naked. The scent of spent sex tickled her nostrils. Her lips bruised and her body ached as if she'd been through an obstacle course. She had. And she wasn't happy about what had taken place. There'd been nothing gentle between them last night. And the only words they'd shared had been sexually vulgar. Sam felt dirty as if she'd been used and then disposed of by her husband. Then again, she'd done the same to him. So was this how the Ancient's made love? No. This wasn't how it'd been the days and nights before. Nor did she suspect in the past between them.

Another series of driving hammered sounds followed. Sam tested her feet and made her way to the window, but couldn't see anything. A few minutes later she took a short hot shower. Her fingers found tender spots everywhere including her pelvis that felt as if a jackhammer had . . . she frowned. Yeah that's exactly what had happened. More than once. She'd actually passed out crying out his name as the pleasure became more than she could consciously handle. Another Ancient thing she decided she didn't like. Samantha Carter didn't like losing control even with Jack, did she? Another unanswered question.

Looking in the mirror, she stared at her face for a while. Weird thoughts assaulted her again. She had to be at least fifty or more. However the woman staring back at her didn't appear over forty. She pulled her fine wet, blonde hair back. She'd yet to fix her first butchered haircut and everyone seemed to deal with it. She wished it even shorter, easier to style. She opened the medicine cabinet and found the hair shears. A vision of herself years ago flashed before her. Using her fingers to measure she evened off the sides. Nope. Shorter.

Twenty minutes later, she donned a pair of worn blue jeans. Too baggy, she belted her waist and then slipped on a faded orange t-shirt that read, "Homer Simpson for President." Sam wondered who the funny carton character was and why the oversized shirt was in her drawer.

When she entered the kitchen she found it empty. She called for the kids but got no response. Sam glanced at the mantle clock and winced. It was almost eleven am. Retrieving what tasted like a fresh banana muffin, Sam left the cabin and stepped into the warm sun. The crisp autumn air felt good and Sam breathed in deep.

The hacking sound came again from behind the house. She remembered it was Wednesday and assumed the men were splitting firewood. Sam rounded the backyard and spotted the long lean-to attached to the cabin that was sheltered on three sides, the south wall open. Split wood was stacked from floor to ceiling. A few feet away a flatbed wagon held an enormous pile of logs.

Wack! Wood splinters flew overhead and she tentatively walked around the wagon. Sam froze at what she found. Jack O'Neill splitting wood. Shirtless, dressed in his holed jeans and steel-toed boots, he loaded the pieces of wood onto another flat wooden brace then wielded the ax with the same accuracy he did his P90. His bare back to her, sweat tracked the lean tan lines of his clawed skin. Sam flinched as she recalled how he'd acquired most of those scars.

She returned her attention to the fluid power in his lean muscular arms and biceps as he repeatedly drove the axe blade into a large chunk of oak and it surrendered, splitting in half. His chest expanded with the exertion and her gaze riveted to the tight curly gray hairs that dressed his upper chest then trickled into a narrow darker trail of hair below his waist. Sam cleared her throat, realizing she'd not seen him naked in the daylight and wondered what she'd missed. Apparently a lot.

"Um, would you like something to drink?" she asked, surprised when her voice cracked.

Pitching the split wood onto the pile a yard away, he turned and glanced at her through sunglasses. She felt his scrutinizing gaze and watched his facial muscles tense when he noticed her even more shortened hair. She wished she could see his eyes. His lips pressed tight, Jack nodded and gestured toward the lean-to. "There's a pitcher of ice water inside." He returned to his labor.

"Sure." She walked to where a glass and half a pitcher of water set on a worktable. Sam reached for the glass until her gaze spotted his dog tags. She lifted the familiar metal chain. Another memory surfaced. He'd stopped wearing them after he'd been promoted to Brigadier General some fifteen years ago. Her mind whirled. If that were true, he had to be in his mid-to-late sixties. She turned and stared at his lean work-worn physique. Confusion washed over her. She then noticed another set of tags hung on the same chain. Sam glanced at the familiar numbers and name, Colonel Samantha Carter-O'Neill. Her heart hitched in her throat. He'd kept them. She shut her eyes and tried to remember more.

"Could use that drink!" Jack called out.

"Coming." She poured the water and then set down the tags. Sam hurried and offered him the cold glass. He'd removed his shades and wiped his damp brow. Sam spotted the hand towel and stepped forward to pat the perspiration from his arms and chest. Jack yanked the towel from her. "I'm not handicapped, Carter."

His hostile tone felt as if he'd slapped her. She bit her lower lip and turned to walk away.

"Why'dya cut your hair again?"

She froze and turned slowly. Jack leaned back against the wagon, his long legs crossed in front of him, one thumb in his front jean pocket, the other holding the empty glass. Something about that lazy pose took her off guard. She'd seen it before. Lots of times and it stirred something deep and lost inside of her. She shut her eyes and remembered what was missing. His goofy lopsided smile.

"Your hair," he said closer.

Her eyes snapped open to find him gazing down at her. She'd not even seen him approach. Sam trembled. Although her sexual need for him no longer uncontrollable, it smoldered under the surface.

"I," she stiffened when his long fingers toyed with a damp strand. "Wanted to even it out better."

"Ah," he smiled then frowned. "You never had the patience to grow it out. Rarely got passed the nape of your neck." He dropped his hand as if to touch her pained him.

"You liked it long?" She feared she'd disappointed him.

"Doesn't matter." He didn't sound hurt, but something in the way he'd said it bothered her. "Nothing matters anymore," he said then donned his shades as his mouth ironed out. There'd been no affection in his smoldering brown gaze, let alone the sexual dominance from the night before. He acted as if it'd never happened.

"Where is everyone?" she asked as he walked back to the woodpile.

"The kids are at the SGC daycare underground."

"Oh, I could have—"

He turned and glared.

"Watched them," she forced herself to finish. What was wrong now? What had she done, said, that he didn't even trust her with their children? Had the twins told him what happened yesterday?

"They go there every Wednesday. It's my time above ground, alone. Your arrival threw off the routine. Not anymore."

"Oh." She then noticed the diesel-powered wood splitter a few feet away.

"Does the splitter work?" she walked toward it.

"Died a few weeks ago. Haven't had time to futz with it. The bearings are shot and the belt's burned out. Besides I need the workout—"

Sam dropped to her knees and removed the outer casing. "I can fix this." She announced in one glance.

"Yeah, well, my Sam could fix anything . . ." Jack's voice bottomed out and he cursed.

_My Sam?_ She snapped her head around and stared at his accusatory glint. That was it! He didn't believe she was herself. Sam shoved to her feet and stalked toward him waving her arms in rage.

"Why you cantankerous S.O.B.!"

"Excuse me?" He set down the ax and met her halfway.

"Don't pull that 'excuse me,' crap line on me, Jonathon J. O'Neill."

"Excuse me," he coughed, "crap line?" His mouth twitched.

"You heard, me you incorrigible lunatic on the fringe!" She turned to leave before she did something she'd regret like kick his ass. "Man, oh, man, why'd I ever think you were the _Scarecrow _I fell in love with on Nirrti's mother's ship?"

"Scarecrow? Wait?" He touched her shoulder.

Sam reacted with military instinct and her clenched fist made contact with his chin. She saw the stunned look on his handsome face before he toppled, face down. Wow! Who knew Jack O'Neill had a straw jaw? She did.

Jack was floating . . . in pain.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Carter was saying with emphatic regret. And then there was nothing for either of them.

00000

"Jack?"

"Um, Daniel?" Jack's mouth tasted like sawdust.

"Yeah. You okay?"

"Guess so." Jack rubbed his aching jaw and shoved upright. When he glanced around he found he was on the living room sofa.

"What happened?"

"We we're hoping you'd tell us," the linguist frowned. "Cass is watching the kids at our place. Where's Sam?"

"Ow." Jack hoisted himself off the sofa and winced. "Um, she slugged me and then . . ."

"What?" Daniel looked upset.

"Sorry, I've got nothing." He flexed his swollen jaw. "I forgot what a wallop Sam can throw. I think she broke a tooth."

"She's gone, Jack."

"Oh." He shrugged.

"Just, oh?" Daniel huffed.

"I mean. She couldn't have gotten far."

"It's night, Jack. You've been out for hours. Harry sent a high alert to the outer perimeter patrols, but so far no one's spotted her. It's like she just vanished and—." He looked away.

"Spit, Danny," Jack ordered.

"Well, about the same time you got knocked out, there was a temporal disturbance in the force field. McKay thinks that's when Sam vanished."

"And that means?" Jack was losing patience.

"Fifth's abducted Sam—again."

"Crap!"

END OF CHAPTER FOURTEEN


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

**Author notes: Dear readers, I apologize for this exasperating dead-air time. Many of you wrote me off line requesting, begging, even demanding that I give you the grand finale. Sadly, serious personal issues have prevented me from finishing this novella and another, not to mention I had little access to my pc for almost four months. That aside, I refused to write a sloppy conclusion/quick fix, not to mention my need to see how Season 10 ended. Hopefully you will be pleased with my efforts to make **_**Never Say Never**_** as cannon as possible. Believe me, considering what all went down and didn't go down in 'Unending,' that wasn't easy!**

**If you haven't recently read this fic please revisit chapters thirteen and fourteen to refresh your memory. And as always, your opinions are highly treasured by this insecure writer. **

**PS: There are a few more chapters to come! **

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Sam's head hurt something fierce. She tried to move but failed.

"Hi, Samantha," her voice addressed herself. Spooky! "Open your eyes and look around. It won't hurt I promise."

Sam blinked and did as told. Here she was again, standing in the midst of nothingness, and yet there was light and mass. She glanced about and gasped. Like trailers from movies, memories of the most intimate nature swirled around her in living color. The most recent being last night with Jack. Sam blushed looked away, but her open eyes couldn't escape the projections.

The scenes of her life started with her birth when she left the secure warmth of her mother's womb while gangly hands pulled her gently into the world. Sam blinked and shivered as through the eyes of a newborn the first face she saw was not that of her mother, but of a pimply faced youth with unruly brown hair. She tried to breath but couldn't, until she was held upside down and felt a solid smack on her small behind. Sam let out a loud wail of protest.

Samantha proceeded to wail as the boy wrapped her in his flannel shirt and she inhaled his scent, a scent she'd never forget. She heard him over that of her mother's concerned voice, "Got one strong set of lungs there, Dorothy," he'd said, and placed her in her mother's arms.

"Yes she does. I don't know how to thank you, young man. Had I been stranded on this elevator alone—oh, I knew I shouldn't have come today. Jacob will be royally ticked!"

"Jacob's your husband?"

"Yes. He's a wonderful man. Just that he took leave before we deployed overseas so I could come home and visit family and friends. I used to work here at the museum . . . ."

"Hey, I was born in Chicago and lived here until my parents died in a car accident—."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

He shrugged. "That's okay. I don't remember them much. My grandparents are raising me. I live in Minnesota, land of sky blue waters, man-eating mosquitoes and wallopin' Croppys." He grinned. "Anyhow, we're visiting my aunt and uncle. I'm here with my cousins, but got bored out of my gourd, and decided to find some action. Guess I did." He smiled down at Sam then rolled his dark brown eyes. "Crap! My uncle's so going to kill me."

"Don't worry, Jack, I'll explain everything once we get off the elevator."

"Well, I messed with the emergency wiring. Hopefully, they now know we're stuck between floors."

"I noticed. You're good with your hands, Jack."

Crimson rushed up his face. "Yeah, so I'm told. I wanna be an astronaut and travel in space—"

Sam interrupted with a squawk and her mother rocked her. "Hey, you think I should call her Dorothy?" her mother asked him.

"Nay, with that blonde fuzz and those baby blues she's more the Samantha type."

"That's funny," her mother laughed softly.

"What?"

"If she'd been a boy, Jacob had wanted to name her Samuel after his grandfather."

"Oy vey! That's just wrong on so many levels." Sam felt his warm touch caress her cheek.

"Don't worry. Hopefully we'll compromise and call her Samantha like you suggested."

"Well, I'm just saying. . ." his voice trailed off, is cheeks reddened.

Sam remembered cuddling and cooing in her mother's embrace and yet her limited newborn gaze searched until it rested on the adolescent's smiling, pimpled features and dark sable dark eyes. Sam smiled. He smiled and she glimpsed dimples. Holy Hannah, this was her Jack!

The floating images shifted. Sam was a toddler playing with her brother Mark, baking cookies with her mother, next scene asleep in her Barbie bed—then the Wicked Witch of the West tore her from Jack's possessive arms. He was taller and skinnier, but determined to protect her. Sam saw the witch's flying monkeys kick and hit him. Then the witch held a gadget that shot a white light into his forehead. Jack screamed and Sam cried out his name. She called him Jonathan and then there was nothing.

Sam was baking cookies when her father came home. "Sammy, something terrible has happened. You're mother's been in a car accident and she's--

"

"Noo!" Tears of anguished grief tracked her cheeks.

Next she was learning to fly dad's Cessna 152. Several more abductions by the witch, high school, college, the Air Force Academy. Eventually the witch had a name, Nirrti. Always, though, Sam was with Jack. She realized that back then she didn't remember his name, but that didn't matter. He christened her Dorothy. She called him Scarecrow. The trailers speed by faster. Onboard Nirrti's ship, Sam gave birth to several infants that were torn from her womb through the Goa'uld version of a c-section. Most of them died in her arms. And then Cassandra was born and Sam was able to see and touch her. Jack tried to save their daughter but got struck down. As if it'd just happened Sam screamed for their lost child and injured lover. That image faded and Sam was a Special Forces courier, named Shimmer, her contact's name Striker—Jack. The first conscious contact since her birth and it'd left her titillated and confused. She'd fantasized about him ever since. Next, her engagement to Jonas Hanson and finding out she wasn't a virgin.

The next scene was meeting and falling head over heels in love with Jack O'Neill dressed as Zorro at the White House Halloween party. The rest of her memories swept by in a heartbeat and yet each moment and event felt as if it had just happened. Suddenly, she was watching Jack chop wood. She slugged him and here she was watching her life vanish into the dark void that surrounded her.

"Am I dead?" she asked the void, hoping and praying, to see the light of heaven any moment.

"Not yet." A light shot down from above and a familiar figure immerged from the darkness. Replicarter!

"Did you have a nice trip down memory lane, sister?"

Sam opened her mouth but the Replicator answered with a wry smile. "I certainly did. Over half a century just like that." She snapped her fingers. "Yet barely a second in my lifetime."

"Why?"

"Because all those years we had you, we couldn't get break through your Tauri's wall of resistance. We had flashes of your life with SG-1 including the last few years with Colonel Mitchell and Vala whatshername. But somehow you blocked anything dealing with your childhood, especially your abductions by Nirrti and your Ancient bond with Jack. Now we know." Replicarter smiled smugly. "You do know Nirrti is alive?"

"No! That's a lie. Jack torched her years ago."

"He torched a clone or should I say a clone of Janet Fraiser. Nirrti herself including another clone of her original host are very much alive. Remember Baal's clones?"

"Who could forget!" Sam snorted.

"Well, Nirrti was the clone maker and—"

"What do you want?" Sam found her voice and her spine.

"Some girlfriend-talk before Fifth finds us out." RepliCarter reached out and caressed Samantha's hot cheek.

Sam jerked back as if repulsed. "I've nothing to say to either of you." She crossed her arms and looked away.

"Oh, but you do. Actually, you've been a babbling brook of Intel. Of course, not necessarily what Fifth sent you back to Earth to acquire. If anything, he's rather put-out and green with envy with all the hot sex you and Jack have had. Talk about making up for lost time." She rolled her eyes and made a lewd gesture.

"Then I'm alive. I-I'm not one of you?"

"Oh, quite alive and no, you're not one of my brethren. And I advise that stays between us. My beloved Fifth has spent all these years convincing you that you're me. He'd be really pissed if he knew I let the cat out of the bag. Fifth hates when he fails, especially anything that concerns you, Samantha Carter-O'Neill."

"Why are you telling me this?" She took a step forward.

"For the same reason I shared what I did the last time we had a heart-to-head chat. Oh, when was that?" she tapped her chin. "Ah, yes, at the Alpha site, when you were engaged to that sweet, little, clone of Pete Shanahan."

"Daniel destroyed you."

"No, just one of me. When Fifth and I reunited he was angry that I'd betrayed him. And yet, he still loves _us_." She gestured between them. "So even if he discovers we talked, he'll forgive me. He always does," she said with confidence.

"I asked what you want." Sam hissed.

"Would you believe I want this battle for earth to end?"

"Really. How?" Sam assumed the next word she heard would be_ surrender_.

"By giving us what we want, Atlantis and the Odyssey."

Sam scoffed. "And that'd make you all go away?"

"For now, yes."

"Why?"

Because we're dying. Most of Earth's technical resources are not advanced enough for us to continue our evolution. Jack's known this for sometime. He knows that if we got a hold of Atlantis we would be able to penetrate your Ancient defense shield. In fact, had our cousins from Atlantis shared their technology, you and I would not be chatting. You'd be dead! As for the Odyssey, the Asgard transferred all their advanced knowledge into that ship. That also would benefit us."

"And after that you'd destroy us." Sam snorted.

"No. There'd be no purpose. There are more advanced galaxies than the sordid little Milky Way. The problem is we're stuck here."

"You've lied before. I've no reason to believe you." Sam countered.

"I've not always lied. I told you that unlike you I pursued my ambitions and one of them is Jack. And as much as it hurts I'm willing to give him up." The Replicator shrugged. "But if you deny my brethren what we need, be assured that your Jack will kill you. After all, he believes you are moi. So does Charlie and the twins. And let's face it, if given the choice between the word of his children or you. . . At this point you'd lose hands down." She snickered.

Caught between a rock and a hard spot, Sam glared at her duplicate. The fact that RepliCarter had always been inside Sam's head or penetrated the force field didn't matter. Sam must pick between her husband's trust and the future of Earth. The choice was painful, the hardest thing she'd ever have to do, but then Sam always did the right thing.

Something distracted RepliCarter. "No!" She vanished.

Sam blinked. Her head ached. She slowly lifted her head off the floor and glanced around. She was in the barn.

"Mom?" Charlie knelt before her, gripping a strange looking device.

"Charlie?"

"Yeah. You okay?" He reached for her.

Sam nodded and leaned into him as he helped her stand. She glanced around and spotted RepliCarter slumped over a straw bale. "Is she?"

"No. But she's pretty messed up for a Replicator." He gestured to the palm size gadget.

"How'd you know?"

"I didn't. This only works on Replicaters, so I shot you both."

"Oh. Ouch!" she clenched her head. "Nasty headache. Didn't she have her hand in my head?"

"Nope. They're telepathic now."

"Crap."

"Yeah, my exact thought." He escorted her toward the door.

"Won't she wake up?"

"Yeah, but with a massive headache." He gestured while six armed men in civilian clothes ringed up. Weapons drawn they cautiously hoisted RepliCarter's limp form off the straw and transported it to the new SGC.

Charlie explained to his mother. "Don't worry, she won't be thinking straight for sometime. This newest version," he waved the gun, "Messes with their mind, tangles time, events, etc, it also affects the rest of the brethren. And as McKay said after he upgraded the Asgard gun Dad invented, 'The Replicators are too smart to find out what a second blast does.'"

"Which is?"

"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes."

"Gotcha. But I'd rather you'd just done the ash thing."

"We probably will, but Dad wants her alive—for now."

"Ah." Sam's headache was easing, but she still felt like she'd been dragged through a wormhole inside out.

Charlie stopped and turned into her. "Mom, I'm sorry for not believing you were you." He reached up and touched her warm face. "I should have trusted Dad's instincts. He refused to believe you were a Replicator, until he. . . ."

"What?" Sam's heart raced.

"He linked with you when you were dreaming."

"That explains a lot." She frowned and chewed her lower lip.

"More than you'll ever imagine." He blushed.

"Sorry." Sam felt heat warm her cheeks and ears.

"Don't be. I always knew you two had hot Ancient sex going on. Which gives me something to look forward to—that's if I ever find my Godsend."

"Oh, you will, son. I promise." Sam blinked as they stepped into the quiet dusk of the autumn day. She glanced at the sky. The Asgard shield was down. "So where's Jack, um your dad?"

"Um, Mom, I think we should first check on the twins and—"

"Charlie!" Sam stopped and grabbed his forearm. "Where is _he?_"

"I can't. . .I promised him." He held up both hands. "And as an officer obeying his CO's command, I can't tell you squat."

"So help me, Lieutenant O'Neill!" She snatched her son by his shirt collar and spun him about face. "Spill or I'll—"

"What, Ma'am?" he challenged respectfully.

His mother donned her officer's façade. Facing her full military mode Charlie didn't want to find out the _what?_ She might be years older, but it wouldn't be the first or last time she'd drop kick him on his ass.

"Charlie?" she said in her lethal CO voice that lent no leeway.

"Fine!" He yanked free of her amazingly strong grip. "Dad's giving Fifth what he wants," he said with wet brown eyes. "He's launched Atlantis. God help him, Mom, he's sailing solo."

"Crap!"

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More to come. Promise!


	16. Chapter 16

Dear Shippers,

Another thousand apologies for the long passage since I last posted for 'Never Say Never,' a futuristic story of the award winning 'Chosen Heart series.' If you happened across this story because of a chapter update please start with Chapter One? Other than Jack and Sam being bonded Ancients the novella series is cannon based. And with Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis sadly over, I stay true to the shows and characters. Thanks for hanging in there! Enjoy! Hail Dorothy

PS: The copyrighted materials of Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis belong to MGM studios. My warped imagination and love for Sam and Jack are mine!

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Chapter Sixteen

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Earth: A mile and half beneath the cabin.

"Jonathan James O'Neill!" Sam glared into a salvaged SGC monitor trying to reconcile how the new faculty had an uncanny resemblance to the Tokra off world tunnels.

"Excuse me." Onboard _Atlantis_, about to settle into the Ancient chair to launch the vessel, Jack irritably approached the com panel's screen and the hot, but evidently pissed-off dusty photocopy of Sam.

"So help me, Jack, if you don't show yourself I'll shot Harry."

"She's serious, Jack." Maybourne protested off stage.

"Whatever."

"Jaa-ck," Harry hit a high octave.

"Look guys, I'm a tad occupied launchin' this mother of all battle cruisers, saving the world again, yada yada." Jack rubbed his shirt sleeve over the dusty screen. "Don't they ever clean this joint?"

The counterfeit Sam's fair complexion turned boiling red. "Man, he's three fries short of a happy meal."

"Ya just noticed." Maybourne derided.

"Watch it, Harry, or we'll have a repeat of that oh, so memorable moonlit holiday. This time inside a black hole." Jack's jaw scissored tight.

"Sorry, Jack." Harry's head bobbed over the monitor. "But she has a loaded pistol jammed into a kidney and the safety's off."

"And she is?"

"_She_ is your wife." Sam shoved Maybourne aside.

Harry wasn't lying. She held a Beretta M9A1 in her right hand. Shit! "Oh, like you're saying so makes it so."

"It's me, Jack," her voice softened and when she smiled those adorable dimples seemed real—almost.

"Please, believe her, Dad?" Charlie towered over the fake Sam's shoulder then glanced sheepishly at Jack's parental scowl.

"Squealer," Jack accused, shaking his right pointer at his eldest son.

"Sorry, Pops, but she is our real mom. I swear!" Charlie defended, cradling Sam's slender shoulders with his large hands. As if to reaffirm, Sam leaned against Charlie's chest.

"Yeah right! For all I know you're all Replicators." Cocking his head, Jack pressed his face to the monitor and yelled, "With the shield down the base could be swarming with creepy-crawlers." He gestured Sam. "Fine. Say something only Carter would say. Something a Replicator couldn't know."

"Holy Hannah, it's been in my head for three years, Jack." Sam pulled away from Charlie and closed in on the monitor.

"Hello!" He flourished a hand with a snort of mockery. "And your point would be?"

It-she snapped her fingers and said in a sensual tone that few men had ever heard from Samantha Carter, "You squeal like a pig rolling in mud when I nibble your—"

"Na-ahh!" His jaw unhinged, Jack practically jumped through the screen to silence her.

"Nibble his what?" Harry begged.

Sam waggled her dusty brown eyebrows and smiled evilly. "Let's just say 'his what' is not below his belt but close to his heart."

"You tell anyone and you die, woman."

"You believe me?" her chin jutted out, hope filling her eyes.

"Thinking." Brooding, but more pointedly doubting. RepliCarter had probably been along for the ride whenever he and Sam made love, a thought that would forever sicken him. What the female replicator hadn't perfected was Sam's cheeky mouth, especially when infuriated with him. So, Jack did what annoyed Sam most, he donned his duh expression and went to his happy place, fishing. Tens second later, he began to regret that he never caught that two foot bass. If only she'd—

"Hell, don't strain yourself, sir. Not like the fate of infinite galaxies dangles on the decision of one Homer-fanatic flyboy, whose plans A and B are to _blow it up_!"

Yep, she was pissed. "Dorothy?" His head snapped up and he smiled at her feistiness.

"Hi ya, Scarecrow." She winked an indigo eye.

"Dorothy, Scarecrow?" Harry mouthed. Charlie whispered something to Maybourne who snorted. "Will you two get a room?"

"If only." Jack's tender gaze embraced Sam before he glanced past her. "So where's two-faced RepliCarter?"

"Unconscious and in a Replicator foolproof cell, Jack." Harry assured.

"Sweet."

"How'd you know where I—we were?" Sam peered at her husband. "And what Fifth wanted before he made his demand?"

"Oh, that. Snuck in the backdoor." He tapped his forehead. "You two were busy strolling down memory lane and didn't notice little ol' me."

"But Fifth's still in my brain."

"Nope. I fried number Five's circuitry and," he checked his wristwatch, "got about twenty minutes before he figures out how to reconnect."

"That explains why I don't sense him—it. Thanks, sir."

"Hey, think nothing of it—that."

Sam stood, dressed in green fatigues, heavily armed and totting a backpack. "Ready to be transported onboard, sir."

"Not going to happen, Carter." He avoided her stunned look.

"Don't be a jackass. I demand that you take me with you."

Starching his sore shoulders he groaned. "Harry, does it say four-star General anywhere on my uniform?"

"Hey, I've got two of em, Jack, and she doesn't listen to me."

"Because I think my husband had too many beers when he promoted you, Maybourne," said Sam with disrespect unbecoming an officer.

"Carter, stand down."

"But he's. . ."

"My second in command. Fercryin' out loud, listen to the man."

"Over my dead body." She gave Harry a soiled look.

"That can be arranged-again." Jack looked at Maybourne. "Zat her if ya haveta."

"With pleasure." Harry leered in Sam's direction.

'Oh, no you don't." She brandished the pistol. Hands raised, Harry backed off, while Sam ranted. "Last time you shot me the two of you got marooned on a moon for three weeks."

"Ja-ack?" Harry looked desperate. "I made one trifle mistake and she hates me."

"I wouldn't call it trifle," Jack recalled those horrible weeks stuck with Harry, under the delusional influence of a weed and believing that he'd never see his wife again.

Sam's angry glint fixated on Maybourne. "Oh, I don't hate you. I've always disliked, distrusted and despised you."

"Why?" He was gullible enough to ask.

"You victimize innocent women for perverse selfish pleasures."

Harry coughed. "I happen to love and appreciate the female species . . . very much." He smiled. "And I'm not perverse. Although, I'm all for trying something new."

"Holy Hannah, you've seven and half wives!"

"And a dozen precious children," Harry proudly added.

"You sicken me."

"Now listen here, Mary Poppins, at least my kids were conceived by willing conscious partners."

"Bad answer, Harry." If the world wasn't about to end he'd enjoy their game of ping-pong mouth.

"Oh man!" Sam's lethal hands went for Harry's throat. The man barely dodged her attack.

"Geez, Dad," Grace whined from the backdrop. "They're driving us nuts."

"Timeout, kids!" Jack ordered with a T hand signal.

"Don't pull your _kids_ lingo on me." Sam's flushed face crammed the screen. Harry looked for the nearest exit.

Jack stepped back, fearing she'd crawl through the monitor and assault him. "Samantha," he drawled his don't push me tone, "This is not your call."

"You're not doing this alone."

"Naah!" He scrubbed a hand across his blue bearded jaw, glanced at his watch then at the anxious beautiful face of his chosen heart, Samantha Carter-O'Neill, a face that could launch a thousand ships or delay them. "Three years ago you made a choice without me." Surprised anger scuttled across his face and into his voice.

Sadly, Sam met his injured expression. "Forgive me, Jack? Had our positions been switched, you'd have done the same. And if I'd told you about Fifth, you'd have stopped me."

"Dang straight!" He countered.

"And we'd all be dead." Harry harped.

Jack's fury dissipated. "Well, there's that. . ."

"Dad, you taught us to never leave anyone behind." Cassandra sidled up to her mother. Grace poked her face in the screen while Charlie herded the O'Neill clan. Next came JJ who looked scared as hell, but stubbornly acceptable of Jack's final decision. Jonathon James O'Neill junior was growing up to be a lot like his old man.

Sam stepped out of Jack's view. When she reappeared, Janet and Jacob were clinging to her like they'd never been separated. Jack's heart skidded against his ribs. They'd bonded!

"Dadda!" Janet giggled and thrust her chubby arms toward him.

Jacob elbowed his twin, competing for Jack's attention. "Cake?" the youngster asked, lurching at the screen.

"Um, kiddo, daddy's gotta a job to do. But when I home, we'll have chocolate cake, ya sure yabecha." He winked.

"Yum yum. . .sweet." Jacob blew a slobbering kiss to his father.

Jack's eyes misted. He tore his attention from the toddlers to Sam. "You play dirty, Carter." He accused.

"Learned that from my former commander." She juggled her wiggling armfuls, before handing the twins over to Charlie and Cassandra.

When Grace started to sob, Sam tenderly embraced her, stroking her hair.

"Dadda, bye-bye?" Janet hugged Cassandra's neck and looked at him with questioning blue eyes.

Jack's heart crumbled. "Just for awhile, sunshine." He pressed a smile.

"Don't lie to them, Jack." Sam insisted. Letting go of Grace, his wife looked beseeching at him, as did his children.

Their grief-stricken faces almost unhinged him. Almost. He touched the console to disconnect. "Oh, the _Atlantis_ ZPM's in the cabin's refrigerator freezer."

"And you're flying _Atlantis_ how?" Sam gawked.

"With the ZPM we absconded from Baal years ago."

Harry barged in. "Um, Jack, there's just enough juice for—"

"A one way ticket." He wagged his grey brows with knowing look.

"Jack!" Sam pleaded. "Sagittarius-A is one of the most unstable black stars in the galaxy. It's super massive and—"

"Closest to Earth, approximately 26,000 light years, give 'r take." He counted fingers but ran out of digits.

"How'd you—?"

"Thor." Jack engaged her stunned look that morphed into an exasperated Carter. "He borrowed your original plan, just tweaked it bit to throw off the bad guys."

"The Replicators want the ship's ZPM and the Wraith wants its technology."

"That's why you're a national treasure, Carter." He grinned. "Thor decided to think dumb like you and. . ."

"Your Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet failed to mention that even if you had a full powered ZPM there's a one in five-million-three hundred—"

"And a twenty-seven thousand odds that I'll return. Yeah, did the math."

"Please, Jack?" Tilting her golden head, Sam brushed the screen with her fingertips and blinked glistening tears.

Jack felt her warm touch on his skin. Dang Ancient wiring. "Hey, it's what we do, Carter. Take care of our kids and know that I love you well . . . more than fishing."

"And I love you."

"Always," he replied with a soft tenor of regret, "Goodnight, my sweet someone, goodnight."

Jack killed the transmission.

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Sam's fist slammed the keyboard. She turned on Maybourne. "Where's the transporter room?"

"Now, Sam, I promised Jack that you weren't leaving Earth." He blocked her path.

"We promised too, Mom." Charlie and Grace stepped alongside of General Harold Maybourne.

"Wrong answer." She wielded the zat'ni'katel and fired.

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Jack hovered over the driver's seat of _Atlantis_. It'd been a long time since he'd done this. "Like riding a bike," he muttered self-assuredly. When he sat down the chair lit up like a carnival ride. Jack drew a breath, rested his palms over the armchair's controls, closed his eyes and simply thought, 'To Oz.' _Atlantis_ emerged from the frigid waters of Lake Michigan soared, then shot into the ebbing dusk light and out of Earth's atmosphere.

Manned by Thor and a skeleton Asgard crew, _The Odyssey,_ left Earth's orbit and followed Atlantis' trajectory. Once _Atlantis_ was on course Jack left the chair and rushed for the helm. This reminded him of that time Thor's ship had been overrun by Replicators, well there were several, but the first incident remained most memorable.

The odds of surviving that mission had been slim to nil. On a positive note, he and Thor would have gone down in a blaze of glory. Second time was a charm right? Back then, Jack had ordered Carter and Teal'c not to board the doomed vessel. His fear for Sam's safety had been a part of that decision. He'd been royally pissed when General Hammond overrode his command. In the end Carter's disobedience had saved his and Thor's collective asses. Carter wasn't here to save his ass, but she was safe. He tried not to think about the indignities she had suffered at Fifth's metallic hands. Yeah, Jack realized too late that she wasn't RepliCarter. But then, that was the story of his life. Too little too late.

Jack took the elevator to the ship's helm, confident Sam wouldn't leave their children behind and those he loved were out of danger. That's if the Replicators didn't crash Earth's defense shield. And then there were the life-sucking Wraith.

As the lift's door opened, Jack swore he heard the distinct swishing noise of chevrons, which meant—

"O'Neill?" Thor's voice chimed over the ship's intercom. Jack tapped a knuckle against his skull. He was used to the little guy being inside his noggin.

"Thor?" He blinked when the Asgard materialized as a hologram distracting Jack from the Stargate.

"O'Neill, all the Replicator ships left Earth's orbit and Fifth is onboard the home vessel."

"Nice." He smirked and scrubbed his hands in glee.

"Wraith darts are pursuing the Replicators. The Mother Hive also follows us. Your plan A appears operational."

"Thanks, good buddy. Let's hope the hounds chase the bait right down the ol' rabbit hole." Jack made a swooping motion.

"I am unfamiliar with hounds or rabbit holes, O'Neill. I must terminate communication until we exit hyperspace."

"Sure." Jack nodded glumly.

Thor vanished.

Jack was alone--totally. "Okay then. Hey, God Almighty, jump onboard whenever ya want. . ." He waited a beat. "Now would be nice."

With no outward reply from the Man upstairs, Jack felt the weight of the universe on his shoulders before he doggedly focused his piloting skills on the Ancient ship's control panel. At least they weren't Asgard stones. Which made him think about the alien blue diamond on Sam's wedding finger and dang, he couldn't stop thinking about her and the kids.

"Stay focused." Jack summoned years of discipline. Still, his thoughts meandered here, there and yonder. It'd been rough keeping Sheppard, Weir and the _Atlantis_ team grounded, but he'd managed. Being a general ass had advantages. General Ass. Jack smiled. Sometimes, he cracked himself up. His mouth dipped low as he keyed the address for Sagittarius-A. He initiated hyperspace drive and felt the physical jolt as the flying city entered the no spin zone. He'd arrive at Sagittarius-A, hopefully with the _Odyssey_, Replicators and Wraith mother ships on his heels.

Sam didn't know it but there was a plan B. Thor would transport Jack onto the _Odyssey_ seconds before the dead star's gravity sucked Atlantis and the enemy vessels into its orbit. And if that plan didn't work, Jack would be joining the heavenly choir that included George Hammond and Jacob Carter and his first born, Charlie.

_Atlantis_ dropped out of hyperspace. Jack stared at the deadliest dead star ever to envelope the heavens. "Crap, this gas hiccup's humongous." Shocked into heart-pounding fear Jack prayed out loud, "Lord, if you've got something up your holy sleeves I'm open for a miracle, bands of angels . . . direct voice mail?" Silence. "Um, toss me a bone wilya?"

"Jack?"

"Huh?" Jack rasped. Since when did the Keeper of the Stars sound like. . . "Dang it, Daniel! What's it about, 'everyone, disembark and suicide mission,' that you don't get?"

"Must have lost something in the translation." Daniel sauntered forward wearing his blue-eyed smirk and trademark head bandana. "Besides I rarely listen to you. Why start now?"

"For cryin'out—" Jack blustered.

"I listen to you without fail, O'Neill. But we are a team, correct?" Teal'c stepped off the elevator.

His mouth ajar, Jack swerved toward the Jaffa. "Oh yeah, a team that's about to get flushed down one honking black hole." Jack pointed out the deck's bow port and the swirling mass of the collapsed star. "This is not a return flight, guys. At least Carter follows my orders. . ."

Short-winded, Samantha Carter-O'Neill rounded the top of the stairwell and stepped onto the helm.

"Holy crap! Whatcha ya doing here, Carter?"

"Saving our collective asses, sir." Rushing to a monitor she unhitched her backpack with one hand while the other danced across a keyboard.

"I knew that." Defeated, he dragged his hands over his face and through his silver hair.

"I ran another diagnostic, sir. If I divert power from the ZPM to the . . ." Her techno babble got lost on him. Peachy! They'd die together after all. At least their O'Neill clan was safe. Or not? His gut twisted. When he tried to mind-merge with Sam, she kicked him out.

"Carter?" he growled against her internal stonewall, but she ignored him.

The gate dialed up.

"Fer cryin' out loud! What?"

Daniel took a chair at the control panel beside Sam. "It's the SGC's I.D.C."

"Patch 'em through." Jack ground out, cupping a reassuring hand over Sam's left shoulder. Like him, she was shaking. He leaned into her, inhaling her sweet scent, his whiskered jaw brushing soft skin as she continued to enter critical data.

Teal'c approached the oblong, transparent screen that displayed their solar system. "O'Neill," his deep voice resonated against an odd static in Jack's eardrums, "A Wraith Mother vessel reentered Earth's orbit and has opened fire upon the SGC facility. . ."

Stunned, Jack stared at the screen and incoming Wraith vessel. Darts left the hive-ship by the thousands.

"Where's our kids?" Jack demanded of Sam, praying she'd brought them on board.

Apprehensively looking at him, high color pinched her ivory complexion. The answer was in her eyes.

Crap!

"H—o—m—e," Sam's lips moved in slow motion. Buzzing static blocked her voice, Daniel's and Teal'c's. The gravitational field of Sagittarius-A sucked _Atlantis_ toward its dark pit, fifty-four seconds faster than Thor had calculated.

"Nooo!" Jack roared. He tried to think—act. He'd seen this happen before. SG-10 . . . Major Henry Boyd's team!

The _Atlantis_ deck began to tailspin. So did Jack. As light faded into black he held Sam close and thought, _There's no place like home, there's no place like home. . ._


End file.
